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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvant Atre fllmte A des taux de rAduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reprodult en un seuS clichA, II est fiimA A partir de Tangle supArleur gauche, de gauche A droite. et dc haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'Images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. V 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 Journal kept by Hugh Finlay. I No. /^. ^ u I' n a I kept by Hugh Fiiilay, Surveyor of the Post Roads on the Continent of North America, during his ^urbci) of the \)oBi ipffircs between Falmouth and Casco Bay in the Province of Massachusetts, and Savannah in Georgia; ln'mm tlu- I ;th Scptr. i"-; ami cr.icd iM) June 1""+. BROOKLYN : Pl'DLISHED II V FRANK H. NORTON. 1867. Entrred according to Act of Congress in the year 1867 by Fbank H. Nobton in ;hc Clerk's Otfice of the Uistrict Court uf the United Statci for the Eujtern District o(' New York. INT RODUCTION. •• FiM AV- JoniN.u,,' a M.-^. nf S4 pp., writlon in a small, exceedingly neat, and pcr- feelly le.nMe l,an,l, iMmml in offuid vellnm, and illustrated «itl> two pen-and-ink maps, and a small vi^'netle drawing, eame into my p..ssossi,.n in this wise. One John Hawkins, an Kn.Mishman, and a professor of the .Swedenborf-ian fa.th, «a, sent out to this eonn.ry about .he year ls,-,4, by that seet, as is supposed with a design to propiiLMte the belief ill the I'niled , "States. lie do..s not seeui to have met with distinguished siiceess, cither in religious or seeular „„.,.ers, for while there is no reeord of his having made converts on the one part, it is cer- ,„i,. „,,, |,„vi„g eu.ere.l into business, he tailed dismally on the other, and his belongings ""' ul^l ;■;, -rdoeuiuents, e,urespo,ide,iee ..ul other writings that fVll into the posses- .i ■ ,|u. auetioneer, was tin, manuseript. whieh was brought to uie early in October lasc ,.y his son, and from wl I at purchased it, pereeiung, as I thought, that it must ivossess some intriiisie value . ' A careful r lin. of it, and conversation with various gentlemen upon whose jndgmen in suel ...e. 1 eouhl .ely. r 1 i v opinion, and ii.du, ed n.o to print a small -''" ' ""■ ""•;: ''>;"•-;■'''•'"" ,„ „,„ ,,,;,„,, ,„ uiat the book is a true In printing this edition I haveadheied iilhiiv ..o„v of the Ms, of llu,.d, Kinh-y, rr.U->w. w /,»n,n,„. n , >,T.-i"'- to the subject, and to m.iU .uch illustrations and c.xplanatorv notes as might occur to me. VI. This iiitontion T ym^wc to cnrry mil ill tho prci'Oiil iiil nulni'tinii. mil willi ""y ^■'''^*' '": "''"" ;,,^,„rinil «;i-,„.v. licaiis.. my , o^ oriiiWmu.io.i .ire moa^n- "^::"'^'^''':;r;;;;:;;; t^ ^i.,, ,:,.,... 1.-^ -..• w..„... „ ;;;..„s'i„imr-- i.i.W..is.,.y „.•..,.... io,.o..,.irWypolil,.. TUi. MM.iii, .,no.,ill,.n .iU , ..o. .^^ ..- ^ •">- "^ ."'-' -" '"'"" i„ „,o ....loiii-S Fior .. .lie ..slaMislim..... of „„ or,.ini..a ,.n.. -.fli..'. >^i;;;:,,t-.:r:.r:::-,;'f ^J.^ ;;-^^^^ romviiij: leiUTs. l,olUTs nut , ,ll,..l I". «"' '■^. . ;^^ ,,„, ,„„ ,i„, „,■ ,h,i,. „«,„■.>. l'.^.- lu. wlK,H', «l.or,. tl...y ..ly spr-'ad "'••;;""'' ^,:"1. ^ ous,. ..ml ■■...■.iid ..way i,". cmly ,h..ir „«.. loiters, (Mil ...1 tl... ...to, 1 '^ ; . „ „„. „,i„i,,..r ,„. ina^nstrat.., or some either ilelivereil ... peisuii, or .leiHiMtiO a. u.i i relative of tl.e i...livi.lunl t,. wlu.iu the '•:';;;;;,«^;i;; '^;i;:,,„flVe.h,mse. letters ,vritten in the .. „e,u-e. the ...sto,,, ^new n ''^ ''^ '' "^ ' ' , ,"„„„,, ,,,„„.1„ ,n,m the eoi.ntry ..u.l ,„«naml ,lesti..e,l ,o a ,.l.i.^e ..i the "''"'';•;"'',;,,,.,,,, „,,,, i^ ,„„„l„.r ao.l ,„.,f:.,il...le ;r;;:;;:,i;:'.:^:.;;'l:;'i:r ;;'.:':: :;;:::; te,i';:,'om::f'u:::'a. u,e i .re„i.e„te.i ^ .^ i„h:ihitai.lsoltl...t setllemeot. „„.;,.„|Ti.e or a imM-riiler in the clonles, a ..•ri,...s seveial years l.el".e "'•"■ "" V e . e, 1 ' ive,v h... siM-.m. .1,, ; an.l h.i.K ..Iter rn,le, .low. .in.atV, h... -^''^■''^ ^^^ ^ '^ ^ ! , ' , , i„„.!,l ,„1,e'.he mail. d.T-""- :t;::-';hr^::;:^t:^i::-^;-':'''^-'- M.saehnseus seen.s to ..eon ..re s, i e hlisl n. -.f .. le.a. postal system, sii.ee in ihe year VV^K the .General Court of that eolo.iy issued .he .ol.o«,i,g de- .. It is OKonnK,.. .ha. no.iee he ,iven tha, Kiehanl Vai,ha,,ks, l'i> ';-- |^ Jl^f^^^^J „,e ,d.' e .,,,oi,„e,. .,,r all '---'i" i;;- •:'::^'; i^i^ ^li^^ nhd;::..::! : :. S :^i;;"d- :';!:,ls';':.::rl.e Is ■..;::::' .:::v; ; h-... « ,enny, and i.e s, answer all „,is,arria(:es ll,.-,i..L'li his o«i. i.et:leet ... >!..> kind. rjr,„„„-> Life of F.anklm, vol I, p. 31" '<••» '''•"^- "'"*■ t r vn. U 111 Virginia the colonial law of ICo", refiuirod every planter to provide a messenger to convey tlie (lesiuitelios as tliey arrivinl, to the next plantation and so on, on pain of forfeiting a hogfiiiead of tobacco for default. In 1072, tlie ;,'overnn,ent of New York CM lished a monthly mail to Boston, advertis- ing, •■ Those thi.t he disposed to send letters, to bring tliom to the Secretary's Office, where in a h.cke.l box they shall be preserved till the messenger calls for them ; all persons pay- ing tlie post before 'the hagg be sealed u])."* Thirty years later this monthly post had become a fortnightly one, as we see by tho following paragraph in tlic liusluii Scifs Le/lcr. •• Bv order of the I'osln.aster (loneral of North America. These are to give notice, that on Monday «igl,t the f.th of December, the Western I'ost between Bost,.n and New York sets ont ..nc a fortnight, the three winter .nonlhs „t December Jannary and K^r. nrj „„d to go .dternatelv froin Hnslon to .^aybrook and Hartford to exchange the nui.l of Ic'tte s with th. New York kydcr llie lirst turn for Sayhrook, to meet the New Urk Kydcr on ha- turdav ..i.'h. the 1 1 th currant ; and the second turn he sets ont at ]$ostoii on Monday night . 2, Ml. currant, to meet .he New York liyder at Hartford, on Saturday night the 2oth cur rant to exchange mails ; and all persons who .send letters from B,.ston to (^Connecticut Irom a.ul after the iJith instant, are hereby notified lirst to pay the postage on the same, t 1(574. b,- CONNECTICUT. ' [Befo.c Griirrul Court, Haiiford 1()74.1 "This Court being inade"sensible of the great damage that may accrue to the puldhpie liberty or l„.l.liicss which soniC persons may take to thciuselves (when einploycd by •der of auMioritv i^.r the cnuvevanec of letters, post, and other important occusionsof this .ulonvl by i.rofuse and ..xtravagaut spcmling at the ordinaries and other places on the roau ,„mn"the',ountrves aeet, and allso bv irreat delayes on jonrneycs, very prejudlciall to the co- l.luv which willing to prevent, clue therefore order that the aUowance or those persol.s (who shall be employed .... s,.eh servic..) for their wag.'S a..d expcnees ot themsclyes and horses, .ball be as tollowelh, fro... the lirst of May to the .u.ddle ol October : [here h.llows a long list of prices at various places, too extensive to copy.] . . * *♦ ♦ * * * '■ \nd from the middle of Oct.d.er to the Inst of Ai.rill, to be eight pence n.ore than the above, for every night tl.ev Ivc out, tor oates to the lu.rses, where... great care .s to be had by the ordinari- keepers, that l.yrcd horses are not .lepr.veo of their allowance. Allso, tbe » .\tili-5' History of tht Post Office. London. t l>u>kingli.ini 9 Spcvimrns of Ntwsfaprr Literature. Vlll. differonees in tl.o «l.ovosav, (?"' this Ciiliiny wIi.to tlirir wafios is iint stilled. for ...enand ImrW., wl.uso allnwan,.,. f..>- tl,.. n.an l.y tl... .n.alo shall ' ' f/^ ' ' ' " ^\^\ J Imrso at ^-ra.s, tower ,,on.o a iiif-'l... and for oa.cs, lower l.-'nec llie l.alle peek, and tor hay ""^ "'I'ris'X:; \::a:U .1k.. .l ever n,,on these tear„,es shall n,n es..,ly stop ,. de- tavne his iourn.'V fo.th or haek, or shall he ne.'essarilv stopped or detayn.-d hy anthouty .n ,e t e ion. sn.l, person or persons shall heare the penaiiv or reeetve reeotnpenee el,rLrdi„a,'ii; as the authority who 'sent then shall judge ri-ht to he aha-ed or augtnent.d in his wages."* 1073. M.VSSAriirSKTTS. Under date Jany. tith, lliTli. The (i> ral Court of Massaehusetts reports as follows: " The Ciuirt niett aluuit the lime. • .1 . ., •■ Whereas the puhliek o,-easio„s of the eountry doe fref|nontly re.|Uire that no's.senf. ers be sent ,«.sl and as vet, no staled alhovanee settled in sueh eases, il is ordered hy this Court and the authorilv tliereof, that frcou heu.eforth evry person so s.'Ut up.m the puli- lieke servi,.,' of the eoui.lrv shall he alh.wd hy the Treasurer aft.'r the rate ot three peni'e a mile t., the i.laee to whiei, he is sent, in money, as full satisfaetion lor the expem-e ot horse and u ; and m. Inlulder shall take of any sueh ,ne.s.se„f:er or others travayl,,,;.' upon puh- lieke serviee more than two shillings pr Imshell for oates, and tower pem-e tor hay, day aiol night.f" In the year UiTT. in answer to the reipiest (.f several merihaiits of Itostim, deelannj that 1)1. "thov have heard manv eumplaints made hv merchants ami others that have limn seiiei- ,„e of the'hisse of l.tt.rs, wheivhv menhants with their friemls ami imployers in torreigne parts are .rreatlv denniilied (sir.) nianv tim, s the hlters are impnteil and throwni' upon the oxehan.'e, that who will mav tM>,. them ii|. . no p,r.-on wllh..nl some sati.-laetiou lieing wil- liior to trouhle their houses therewith; theref, re humhly desire, the eourl to depute .s(nne lueete person to take in an.l eonvey letters aeeording to y' dire, lioii," * * * ■' tins eonri judgeth it meete to grant the petiti..ners re.piest herein, and ha\e made ehi.yee ot .Mr. .John Uavward the .-^irivener to he the per,«iui for ihat serviee.}" ♦ Col. Rcc. Conneit. f. ;4:. t Rcc. ot Mass. Vi.l. iv. I'l. z. p. 574- J " •< " •• V, p. 1+7. IX. In 1080 John Ilaywnrd or (Haywood) wns appointed post-master of the whole colony, and in HiSO I'idiard Will 11., 11, ..,,, ^ , . . Fill V,.!.. the 17tli dav of I'd.niary in the 4tli yeare of their rcigne lone given unto 1 lionias Ne.ilt esq hi I'Ulors, ailiiiiiiistrators and assi: establish within .\mcrica, an chief" pi of tl gns full \n leire several I i 1 autliinitv to erect, settle and dands for the receiving and il dispatching iil(Ui\i's and ]il'ntatiiui v of lettiTs and ♦ Willis, Hist, of PortljiKl, p. t Wali. , Annals ol I'l.iU. J. p. 191. , , 1 .1 |„. ^.,,,,,. iMiilcr Miiili rales and smiii's of miiiiry p„ec,uollH, an,l t„ ro.MMvo, son,! ...., ,1,.! . , ;'■';' ,"',,, ,,„ ,,,,„„iu„al,l.. to ih. rates as the planters or inhabUauts shouM a^Mee >o J' ^ '' , .„. ,„, ^,,,,,,i . „„a ..sf.l- for the earriap. of letters, aseertaine,! ,» the a.t ot I • ' •' . , ,,;,,„,,. ,.,„,,„ lishin.a >„,st offiee. to h,.hl a.,,1 e;...lo.v the same tor "'•, \"''' , ';,.„„■„; ,.,h,. under the vearelv rent of six shillinf.'sa,Hle,^htl.e»ee as U the s,,.d UtI... laiu. :td£aaeb;^^^ eountv with n th s en oi:v. setlleaiiil eslahli«li o?u' or mot .oM oiiKi . . 1 ,..l , , .e nd i„e.t ■ueor.linii to he sev.'rall rates and sanies ol eurr.nl n,one> here- :;>;:;',;i:::,i,;:d '.;;;! ti.:::^:l::-^L. ... is .o .,, f o. -.• ..■-; ■^•-.r, ;;:----;;-: i„,, one shoe, lo or from anv ph.. e not exeeedm^- tourseore K nf.'l sh nnl. .1 s , i ,,lieo w!,ere • neh letter shall he r ived three ,,enee and tor toe l,ke r;' ■>,,., Uei.edins: two sl,e,.ts six i.enee. and for the like i„.«t ot every i.ae,|nel ul I ette.s |,io, urtnmahle ^n ; t^d rates, that Is to sav, f..r everv - on, --•■;'" "^.'-Y'"';": '" t; ^;:;;',^i^^: ,,enee and noe n.ore, and fnr the like post of everv , :o ,ue. o. wr, s. '•-''-'",,', .f,er 'he rate nf twelve pene.. for every ounee we,,d,l, and tor the 1";;;' ;\ •,;';,, .'' exeeedin,' one sheet almve the distan.', f fnnrsenre Knjrli-h m les Iron, the da.. »h r. .!. :„ ^,H1 1„. r..,...iv,.,l fn„r p,.n.-.. ha,*' p.^nny, and fnr th,. 'k.- p..st ot a ..t.er n..t ex- .■,.,.,li ." , heets ni..e penee, a.'ol pmpnrtinnald,. ,.. rates fnr the l.ke post ol all , p . ,f let.trs iha; is to sav lor everv -loe, ,.xe,.,.,lin,r two she.ts to a.lvanee lour p.'.ee hall 1 nv and oe m..re, and for the like post of writs, d I- and other th.n.'s alter the ra...s , -1, ,,.„ p,.ne.. fnr ev..ry .o.n,-.. w,'i«h, : /,„„../-,/„//.■„,,.. that ,.1 ..ore ts a,.en,.nts „nd bills .,f ex.ha.,^-e. invnv.e. an.l h.lls of I Ii.;^- ar.' a.ol shall he „nder-,..n,l ... he allowed ill the ral.' an.l pri.'.' ..f dniild.' l.'lt.Ts, an.l shall pass at ill.' sa..i.' rat.' and pavm.'.il.'" hr nnil.TsI 1 tn h.' allnwed t.i I. lasLvTii;.- ol- nil: I'liov.N. i: nr Siw H.vmi'siiirk. (S.'ssi.in .•..i.i.i.en.cd .Marel. Isl l(i'.i:l.) •■ 1)/ (in fur sillhis (I iml-nffkc ill lliii Piiirinrr. W.iiitrv'-Thnmus Neal... Ks,, . fnr himself l.i.s Kx iter, ndminslrat..r and assi^neei. h^nhtain.d f. th.ir nmsl Kx. . lent Maj.sly full power and aull...rily hv Letter- 1 attent- • Hfnin|!'« Slal i\ Ljtgr, vol HI \'. ..>■ XI. undor llic triciit »e»] of Kiigl.um, licarinn; date tlii> sovcntcentli day of February, 1001, to t-rcct, s.'ttli' and cstablUli williin their said Majesty's t'ldmiies and I'lantations in Amerion, an Office or Olliees fnr the reeeivinjt and dispaehiiif! of Letters and l'aef|uetts Hceording to direcliiiTi nnder sueh rales and snnis uf immiT as tlie Thinters shall agree to give, and for as niiieh as a|i|ilieatiini has been ninde to the Jii.'Uti'nant tio.eriior and CoiUK ill for eneiiurage- nient in tliis albiir, liee it therefore Knaeted and ordained by the Lient. (iovernor Couneill and Itenresentaliv.'s eoiivened in general asseniblv. And it is h-reby Knaeted and ordained by the authority of th:> same, -hat a I'osI OHiee'and Offieer be heneifirlh api.oiuted and settled in sonie'i(Uivenient I'laee within the Town of riutsmoutb for reeeiving and dispatch- ing away, aieording to direction, all l-elters and l'ac(|nitts that shall be brought tbereinto. And no' person or persons wliat.ve- «hi.ll |, resume to (arry or reearry i.ny Letter or Letters fin- hire but only such as liehuigtotlie I'ost-dfliee, (lcri\ing their jiowcr and authoiity from .'he afore .^ai.l Thon'uis Neale, except such Letters of Merchants and Masters which shall be sent bv any master of anv ship. I .at or any other vessel) of .Merchandize or any other person einido'y.Ml by thenj foV the cartage of siicli Letters aforesaid aciording to the respi'ctive di- rectioiis. and alsoe pn-cept Lctli'is to be sent by any privati' friend or friends in their way of .lourney or Travcd or by any Messenger or Messengers «enl on purpose for or loucerumg the iiriva'e affairs of anv person or persons. •• And whocxer offends against 'his act shall forfeif the sum of I'en pounds, (Uie half to their Maj'ti.'s towards the support of the (iovernir.i'Ul of this rrovime. the other half to the Post .Master tlini'iid, who shall sue and prosecute for the sanu-. " And it is hereby lurlhcr Knaeted bv the Authority aforesaid that all Li'tters and Paeciuetts brought into this I'ost from bi'Vimd sea (other lliiiu such L-ttcrs as are before ex- ccnted\ shall bv the Importer be forthwith delivereil to the I'oslhouse or to the Officer behmging thcr '.■nto. whi, li Ofli-cr shall pay a half penny to the Importer for each letter or packet so delivered and lor such Letters so br.uight in from h.'V I .sea shall he pay d bv the person to whom di Mlcd Two I'enec, and for a I'aipiette ,|uantity mi lesse than three L'etters besides hills of Loadinu', Invoices, (lazclls, &e., four I'lUice, and for each Letter brought from Itnston to this Province not exceeding sixpence and d.Mible for a Pac,|uette ,,nd s,, proporconahlv on (ellcrs on this siilc Itoston. and for all other L.lters fnuu Heyond Hoston shall be paid what is the aecustiuiiary allowanc.' in the tb.vermt from whence lliey came. . .1.1. ' "Anil it is hereby also further Kuacteil and orilaincd by the aullmrity afores d, that in ea nv Itlh.cr bclniiL'ing to the Po>l Olhcc ,hall i.mitt their duty in keeping eouslaiit Posts for ihc cairvint'of lellcr> to th \c,„| phices and stage, appointed or sli.i II neglect seasonably and failhliillv to deliver forth the Letters a. riling to the intent of Ibis uet ; such officer so olhui ling>hall forfeit the Mini of Kive poumis, ye one half to llieir Majesties, the other half to the party agie, Mid, who >liall sue for the •■.anie. , , ,• , , And all Letters eoiiceniing their MajcMies service shall he recnedand cli-paiiieil away with all po,.ible sped, ace, r.liug to their direction, free of all eliaige and without dc- maii'iling pay (•><■ the s e; any thing hcrcinbetoie coutalned to the contrary mithwitli- " ''"And it is further Kuaelcl and ordai 1 that the Officer of the PmmIiousc luring Lieereo (iraliled to liitaile Hear, fiibr and .\lc within ih ors. a riling to Law, sliill liuve hm ■ fro«' nii.I no Offii'cr "f tlii< Kseis lii iiis iiiTsmi III 111' t'XciiM I'll tViiin \viitcliiii(.' iiii ' Wiiiiliiif; shiill ili.min.a nnv tliinp of liim fur «l.o snmo, and I'nivi'ili'il iiUiivs that this Art luir iiny thiiijr ihiTi'in rontaiin'il sliall i-uiilinui' in I'ni'i'i' "nv Imi thi- jiiiblirutiiin thiTi'i'f.' 'Thomas Davis. 8i'i'v. pr than three yeurii from am .loiiN I'siinn (l.ieiit. Governor.; '.li il lifter ; Hii.i.MAN (S|ienker.) This attenijit tn estalili>li a |iiist-"ftiii' system in t lie .\ineviiaii ('ninnies was mai liy Thnma! been issiii temiihitei Niale. tn wl .1. Iillt III liniii 111 vannus f'the enlnnies a rnyal (latent for this (luri I imt.t le had ihort (if thi.s. t bv Neaie was a |i rranirenients were very In iiiiteil and iniierfeet. The iitiimsl eon i,«t-nftice ill eiK li eoniitv, ami .1 his itiial niierations fur l'KNNSYI.V,\M.\.. ' .1.7 i,f lilt T.i^is/dliiir f>f t! P. 1,1 I'liiiisith-iiiiiii. iKissrtI ill ItWf!. To and f'-oni lMiibiilel|ihia iiy the eastern |ii of New Kngland beyond Hoston. nine- teoii ]ii id from I'liila. to Lewis (l^ewis or l.ewiston Del.) Maryland, and Virjrinia, nine peiiee dnee within eighty iiiib's of rhiladel|,l.ia. f.ur |ienee. half |i •miy To and from every ] . . All letters belollj:illjr tn tile iiilblie, to he ri nf a and thill tlie jinst, juiss ferria).'e fr de|iendiii^', ("The three lower eniinti Delaware — are here referred In,)" ■ I'lnvidedalwavs that the said Andrew II d and des|ialehedfreeofall eliarges, il ferries, within the f-wii "f New Castle and eoniitry Dehi tliev were ealli (I — iKiw state of aiiiiltoii slia dl within three month next ei.sninj! (■reli \ certain davs ot In ttin^r from riiilaiK Ipliia to New Vorti, and IVoiii rhiliidel].liia t forth and return, and shall eoiitinne enustant posls to \„ aKtle."t J, I ,il .\l,n, Dl! ' Wiirni'As. in of Andrew Hamilton at the year Dl!i:!, a »reneral |,ost.otli.e was by law ereeti d at tlie re,|iiei.t 'I'liilad.di.liia. bv wliieli law a rale was put ii|ion all letters; .\nd whereas t he ihi iif the ben r^e of tie '1| I nlhie hath eh lied the ]lo^ta';e, and beiii^ seli>i •li; of thi id ollil ide and eneni ene. and to the I'rnvinee a ble lid Territnrie,' 111 ^elie tn fail for w 111 it it I omiiiiieil, aiil iif >.'reat Inss that »i lilt of eiieniirajiem lit. He it Iherefnre ell II happei, to bnlh if it should liap| eted \e It W direeted bv tli art t I'roviiie hat il iltoii .1 Id •for 1 1 r three \ear« tin' s 111 •■•Jll |ioiiiids siher money of II. aiiniialh, ai il that the Ian •liould enlilililie in ' \ears,ll • Hist.irkal Migjrinr, uil. III. |i Ul- t Hilt. M.iK III I!" * Hi. Mjb III i>i XIU. "To llifi cni llint mutiiol pnrroapone.,t (alter «h m Trenton X'. .1. was ealled.) Tlionias Karnn'r and nuselt hen,- all who on lh,it short n.ni... eonhl fret rea.lv (our tVie.nls hein;; n.oslly p.ne to Sah.p, nieetin;;) hast,.nr,l away lo py this last resne.'-t, and came in lime to meet the eorpse at the (, rave, so that now all thy late pains for an approhation in his favor are h.st and our en. s unhappily f;ralihe peine. To \ iiL'inia 1'J peine l-'or a huij; time the expenses of the offiie exeeided the ineonie Inlil aft, r ITl'J there was no reiiuhir post fnrlhi'r I'ast than Hoston, or further Ke>t than I'hiladelphia. In that y ■ Lord Cornhury writing' to the piver enl at honn' says. "H' I have any lelti-r to send to litlor \ir).'inia or .^Iaryland, I must either siinl an express, who is often retardeil for want of hoals to ero-,. tho-- f.'1'i'al rivers ihi'y must p. over, or else for .vaiit of horses ; or else 1 mu-t send iheui hy some pa-seiip'rs who are piin;.' thither. The least 1 have known any exp'o-s to lak.' loio-e !■. \ ir^rinia has heeii three week« " .> as has been seen, the office of postmaster general for North America was created, but as b.tc as 17(14 no po.st-ridcr went further North than Boston, and no furtl.er Soutli llii.u Chinlest.in. And even twenty years afterwards tlierc was no post into the in- terior of thiM'ountry. ,, , Tl .,• 1 T> • •„„„ In 171(t .■, ti.neral I'ust Offi.e was estal)lisl.ed in London for all the British Dominions „i,d,r one dire.tor .ailed a |,o.tinast,.r-f:eiuTal, who had letter-offiees at Kdiu'mrg, Dublin, New Vn,k,,,ul oilier eouveiiient place.'*; the Deputy-postmaster general for the colonies wiis to residi' in New \ork. . , ,, ttt i i- . ti.„ Tho following i.< that portion of the Act of 1710 and of that of 1. Geo. Ill, relating to the Colonies. /7/-.V/ A,/ nf rarluuiwiit coKsoMulhi!; l/ir Post OjJUr in Gmit Brilain ami her Co/onies, WiAiiiii: 17111. •• And to the end that ;. geneiai post office may be established for and throughout Iler Mujestvs KiuL'.lnm ic. and Colonies, in such nnnner as shall prove most hcnehcial to tlio IVooleAc he it enacted by Parliament that from and after tlie hrst dav ot June, l-H, there be one general 1'. ()'. for < Jieat llrilain, Ireland, N. Amer. West Indies &c. One .Master aio onl.'.l from time t,. time bv llic l^iceu, by Letters Patent— Name— Iler Majesty 8 J'ost Master (Icncral, allowed to keep one Chief Letter Office ill New lofk ana ..tlier chict offices ill each of the Colonies of N. A.ncr. lie has the power to appoint Deputies or sub- stitutes and no other p.ers.ois arc permi.ted to prepare or provide Horses and Inrniture to let to any other person than the above. To Fr. POST.ICK AS FOLLOWS ; ,r fnim N Y to any place within till Kng. miles- Single ] 4 pence. Double S^ H jicnce. Treble I one .shilling. Ou'ice one shilling, 4pcnce n.it ex.ccding inO Kng. miles, (i pen. 1 sh., 1 sli. \ li I"'»- '-«''■ .,P.,.h.^n.,oy(.Icrscy)to,u,yplacc,,o.cxcced,,,gOOKn^^ . N Y. to New Loml. (Oonnt) \ Philad'a !) p., I sh^\ ^ p. • .. .. lllll •• (i p., 1 sh., 1 sh. lip., •! sh. . N. Y to .>^alcm (Mass ) „„d to Voginia-l sh. :! p., 'l sh. .V dp :1 sh .S: !) p., o sh. .. .,,„„,. ,„ Miiy place m.l exceeding liO miles, 4 p , S p., I si, 1 sh. .S 4 p. • ' .. .. Iijil •■ ti p., 1 sh., I sh. A; p., - »u. ri xvt. From N. Y. to Dmrles Town (South rnrol.)— 1 »li. Si fi p., 3 sli., 4 xli. & 6 p., fi sh. " above, not cxeopdinjt tiO iiiilos, 4 p. S p., 1 »li-, 1 fli. « 4 p. 11)0 " i> , 1 »li., 1 fli. & (') p., 2 sli. All Dcputys or Apciils, when riding I'osl. iiro to W allowc.l to cross ami recross all Ferries without any oharjre heiiifr made. All Ferrymen to pass all afieuts of the 1 . O. within a half-hour after denuuid is made, or forfeit i!;').* " Ah Act to alter certain Rates nf Pasta ^e," ,(•<■., e.\la/,/i\/ieil in the Heiun of Queen Anne. This act goes into effect Oet. Kith 1705 and is in suhstniue (for the e.donics) as f.dhiNvs : I,etters from or to London from any port in Itrit. Am. 1 .sh., 2 .sh,, I! sh., 4 sh. From any I'ort, by sea, to any other port, in Urit. Am. 4 penee, S penee, 1 sh., 1 sh. 4 p. For inland eonvcyanee — (iO Hrit. miles — 4 Ji., 8 ]>., I sh., 1 sh. 4 p. l(l(( ■' '• (i p., I sh., 1 sh. li p., •! sh. •>m " " 8 p., 1 sh. 4 p., l! sh., •.; .sh. S p. more than 2(10 Hrit. miles, (or every 10(1 miles 'J p., 4 p., p. S p. All letters hroujiht hy passeufrers of vessels, or others, are to be delivered to the V. 0. for distribution bv the Dc'puties ; under a penalty of jt;"). Nn vessel is allotted to break bulk, until all letters are delivered to the proper authorities. Certain persons are to be appi.inted to survey and nn-asure distances on the I'ost Jioads ; to be recorded in hooks, copies of which are to be left depo.sited in all the chief 1'. Offices in the Colonies.t 1717. In llec. 17H> Jonathan niekinsipu writes to his correspdudent, saying'. "We haven scttleil piist frum Virjiiuia to Maryland unio us, and pies throufih all nur Niotliern Colonies, whereby advices fnuu licistnn to Williamsburj.' in \iri.'inia is ccimiibled in fuur weeks, from March to December, and in double that time in the other months of the year." X A. SeoTswoori to Cunii. ns I'ost Okfick, 17311. (Jeenninna Jit/t/ t/r \\l\t I7o0. t^m :- I am now semliup the bearer. .'Mr. William I{uss(dl, to transact and prepare .Matters, fnr sclliufia rcfjuhir I'ost ('lOTespimdcncc, which may reach so far .'^loilhward as throii|r|i the I'cdonv of \'ii).'ihia. I l:iki' ocassi^u to Nutify In ynur llnuour my bein;: charjji'd with the * Stat, at Latgp 9. Annr. 1710. t Eng. Rpv. Stilt, vol. - f. (oj. I. Oto. III. J Watson's Annals onMiila. vol. a p. 391. XVII. Cure nnd rondiiot of His Miijesly's Post within your (jovcrnment, as well as through all yc I'roviiici'n on ye ('ontinont of North Anierien iinJ Islands in ye West Indies ; and as I nan- nol doulit of your pM disposition to Countenance' an undertaking which is entirely cal- culated to benefit Trade, and iironiote His Majesty's Ucvcnue, I rest assured that the Post Officers will under yoiir Administration uie. with ..11 needful Protection, which must en- Baifc nie to lav hold on everv occasiiui to testily that I am " -^ ' Sir, Your Honour's Most Obedient Humble Servant, A. Spdtswood. The Ilon'ble Ooven'r fioRnoN.* The forpjroinfr laws, documents and citations will have shown the condition of Postal eomihiinication in this country to the year 1710. l''nr forty vears after the jmssagc of the Act of Queen Anne there was very little per- cci.tilili' im.irovcmenl. The (lost-roads were pMierally in bnd condition, the riders, although then perfectly hiyal, were not trustworthy, iind the postmiislcrs j)robably not much better. The followini: experience is illustrative of this jioint. When Benjamin Kraiiklin printed the •• Pennsylvania (lazcttc" in ITMll, Andrew Bradford printed the ■• Mercury ;" the two were naturallV opposcil to ca< Ilonry I'ratI is mado ridinj.'-postinastor for all iho slajfos hotw I'hila owport ill Vir^'inia : to sot out in tho liooinniii}; of oaoli moiilli and to roturn in Iwontv- iilido thoir li'ttor.s and othor biisiiioss, ho having four days. To him all moroliaiits \i'. may given soourity to tho postiimstor gonoral. ' In ]74.'>.Iohn llallov siirvovor states that ho has just mado ofll 10 road from Tronlon to Ainlioy, and has sot np marks at ovory two iiiilos ;o guido tho tr was doiio by jirivato siibsoriiilions, and ho pro]ioso Now Vork ill the saiiio way if a sum oaii ho mado u] ■r. It to do tho wliolo -oad from I'hila. to 'In 174Hwhon I'rofossor Kaliii arrived at I'hila. from Lomlo of the inhabitants 1 board lii id for letters. Si eh ore not oalled for wore taken to tl ■fle 10 eotlee- lli vliero everybody eoiild iiiafci' impiiry for them.' Till Ills showiii, did not yet elaim a right to their distribution. g that tlio post-odieo Snob was the eondilion of things, when in IT.'i!!, by appoiiitiiiont of the I'osI Master loniniissionod to .siieieod the Deputy Gonoral. lii'iijainin I'ranklin ai pu.stniastor gone lev wi'ro a Tl uiiiit of prolit till ■ al fur the Colo llowed ,t:!l)(l a id W'" Hunter were >t dei'oaseil. loh, pioviilod thev eonld niaki' the otiiee vie Id that that Snmnior (17^11!) I'ranklin with his neeii.stoniod energy, prooi ■d.'d t.i systematize and arrange the departnioiit, and to that end sot out on a tour of inspeeti^ id .ited ■very p' st-ollie o 111 the eoiiii III 17.'iii, thi' delivery of bttirs by tie' pi try e.Mopt that of ( 'liarloslon, S. (' liny pi si was (irsi 111 began the praotiee of .idvortisiiig romaiiiiiig lollorii in llie olho At the same linn The lelli rs for all tin Wjtson'b Annali of I'hilj. vul, II. XIX. neiKliboriiif! counti.'S went t<. Philadelphia, and lay there till called f"'T*,''V"' l"""' ^^ Xowt.iwn, liiistol, Chester, New Castle, &e., are t» he euUed for in I'hiadelplmi. In ITf)! Kianklin L'ave niptiee that the mail to New Kngland whieh used to start but onee a forlni.'ht in winter, should start onee a week all the year, whereby answers might be obtained to letters between I'hila and Hoston, in three weeks, whieh used to reciuiro six "*" After four years ,.f Franklin's rule the Post Offiee yi.lded the salary of the postmasters, and a small revl.nu.^ besides, and in 1774 a elear annual revenue of XaoOIJ to (,reat Uritain. As an illustration of the wav in whieh post-.ifliees were attended in those days we may ref..r to Krauklin, who writes iu i7.-i7, " Mr Colden (postmasterat New York) eould not spare his dauL'liler, as slie heliis liim in the post-offiee, lie haviust no clerk." , ^ . . The tirst years experiment bnui^-lit Franklin ill debt £900, yet he refers with great salisfietion to his sueeess iu expediliu)! the mails. . "In 17.^S, newspapers whieli aloretime were earried post free per uiail, wi.l, by tlio r..ason of their irreat in,rease, he changed thereafter to the small priee of !)d. per year, tor tiftv miles, and Is. tid. fur one hundred miles. This was, most probably the private emolu- uie'iit ..f the rider ; the papers themselv.'S probably not having been mailed at a 1. The following letter throws some light on one of Franklin's eftorts to make the Post Offue a .Mmveniem.e ; Washington was at the lime Commander in Chief o the \ irgiuia forces raised to protect tlie frontiers frcun the Indians and French. His head.imir.ers were at Winchester. Franklin in his capacity of Deputy Postmaster, or rather the postmaster- (r,.„eral for the Colonics had the year previous, during Hiadih.ck's niareli arranged a post between I'hiladelphia and Wineliester. in eonse(,uence of a vote of the 1 euusylviinia Assembly. To (!i:im(iE W,\siiinouth. the ....stage of ea.-h'sinKh. letter to h' f,..r ,,ent,y«e.^'h.s nt siUer ' • ' r-o'a lie of sTa.'es is set n,, for New York, to start twue a week, usn.f! lliiee .la^s in f^^^g througli, .U -1 ,,enee 1 n.ile. It was a eovered .lersey, w.-hon. s,,nn«s, and l,ad four owners ciineerned." t i • i The following letter shows the interest th:.t was_ heginnins t« W a.oused m the [lowing home (government, in pos till comnmnieal ion; international and intereoloiiial. Krw Halifax to tiov. 1'knn. .S7. Jaiiies, Aiisiiixl Will 1704. Sm; portanee and advantage tn His Majesty's Servieo, and to the Com- mereial interest and (ieneral Conveiiienee of His Majesty^ Snhjeets ,n N"';!!-, A"...nea It heing of great iin]" •i'lilated and extended llirouglumt that the Convevame of hellers, hv the Tost, should he faeili i- , , ho ('1, ies uro„ that extensive i'ontii.ent, His Mujeslys Post Master (.eneral is eonee t- g uea un's t ,r those purposes, and as it eannot he douh.ed but the Legislatures of the te It" onies will reildilv and ehoerfuUy trihu.e to .he .sueeess o. a Plan, roni w He "^ • ' safe and speedy (orresiiondenee, 1 am hey niav expee. .o derive .he IteneH. of a regular, sate and spee.ly orresponOen e i m Imian'led to signifv to you His Majes.ys Pleasure, .ha. you should reeoniniend .to .1,0 Ce Iv of .he('ol.-|,v under vour (iovernnien. .o provide for .he Ks.ahlishinen. ot I ernes uid eree.ing proper l{uildii,gs-on .he wa.er side, wherever .he same may he to.ind neees- vou'wiu'^vo vou^'eiiuMaiitAid and Supp.lr. .o .lie Pos. Maslers wi.hin your (iov..r,,inen., L"he Lecuti..!. of their offiee, whieh is so iiiiinedia.ely ealeiila.ed tor .he puldiek Beneht. I am wi.li griat Tru.h and Hegard, ((• in, ■". * Penn'u Atchivrt vol. IV. p. jol. XXI. On tlu. Sth of Novpiiib.T \-M Franklin siiilml fur Ki.ghiiul, liin third voyage ; rcniaimng a1)r.m.l iinlil \"i>. His i>r(il..nf;tHl ulisciice fruii. liis post, was iiiade the excuse for an ettort on lliv i.iMt of his enemies to eon.pass his .liscliar^-e from his oflieial iiosition, even as early as ITtiX, tlie r,.al reason being as he believed, his " being too mneh ot an American. It was then the inaeliee t,i allow the non-residence .,f American officers, provided care was taken that their bnsiness was done by Depnty or otherwise. This alVuir blew over, bn. in 1774 Franklin having made h.msell nnmerons ';"'=""7,^y the eircnlation of the " llntehin.s,n> Corresp.mdenee," was c.tcd before the «^;""'"»«;-' » « l>rivv fonncil, and exanm.ed in refere.ice to ,i„ I'etilh.n of the Assembly ot .Massachusetts or li.e renmval of (iovernor llut.hinson, and also in relatiot. to the letters, who»e publicity h-.d b..en the immediate cans ' this a.'ti.in. l>nringtwo separate sessums ot the < ommittec Krankln^vas baited and b„..gered by their Connsel, until the decision was bnally rendered "''''Tin*?!;:;; dil^wlmJllaSanuarv :Ust .774. Franklin received hi, dismissal from the office •"' ''Si:; r::;;;:!::,! bri^ilald^:;:!! ^f." .-- -ting of the continental congress, atid ""'^The'f,':i;:::ln 'his'.''^ .;;;!; l;:iL W. persecutors was un. ided. It was ^i. tndy ,1„„ th.. disn.is,;i of l.r. Franklin from his position was e,,uivalcnt to a sei.nre f ' '« ;^ '<-''^»;] I'ust-Office ■ that ,.nlv erealnres of the Ministry were to be appoin cd Post Ma.s ers , and h t it w^'. ''"Pr .safe to trn.st the letters of patriotic Americans to the Malls. , So J;:ne;allv we" yZir arrangements made t^.r carrying letters that the American Post Office never again contrihnted a fartliing to the Hritish Ireasury. »♦*•*** The f.dlowing ,,"olations will exhibit what was doing in postal matters at the period we have just hei'n con.-idering. ,-- IMIOUK ISL.VNI). nted and resolv.,!, that this (ieneral Assembly will join with the other colonics ; , "t „ffi..cs and post riders, in order to pres.'rve an intereonrse be ween the !rfl'r!Sb^ri;;^h;iirp!:::!.':own;*:;;d";:ii;e^ m"; ;;;;;; Ih!:;::^;,,: wi!l."w tl. presen,, defray the expense of post riders thronghont this ""'1; ;:'":;:c;":;:li';;i^ n'lied, .1,.. post offices 1., an,, hereby - -'^jiif ff ^,;^« f II ,.;„„ ,l„.es to wit at Newpnrt, I'rovidenee, Hii.stol, Warren, lower Hill, m Nnitl Kingslllwii:;;! Westerly -ami tLt 'the t^dlowing persons be, and hereby are. appointed •'""' l":;'Cnorr'Mr Xathaniel Otis ; Providence, Mr. John Carter ; Hristul Mr .Jonathan l^,ssen; WamniMr.Shnbart Hnrr ;' Tower Hill, Mr Hay Sands ; \\ estcrly, Mr. Joshua ""'"lit forthcr voted and resolved, that the rates and duties for postage of letters, be as follows, to wit ; > Si'Jik^' l.ilV and Writings „1- Franklin vol. VII. p 4°5. l'-""-"'' l-'^' of Franklin vol. I, rP- 59+ «• «1- xxu. RalrxnfPi>!'l'i:4riiillirCi>lmilinfJihixlfhlitiiil. ,. j,], j For nnv (listniipp ii"t oxaid Wilde now determines to ride throii;^b Jtoston, Lancaster, &e., as usual, beginning next week." , "Nathan JJu^hllell, Jr. (Constitutional I'osI) jnoiioses lO carry letters, &e., to the cMup at lio.\biirv and ( ambril)0 per annum. A few words in relation to Ilcfiii Kixi.Av. It will be remembered that in 1768, tho cffiirt was made to displace Kranklin from the Colonial Postmaster Cencralship ; in Decem- ber, 177-J. Franklin procured and sent to Ma-sacbusctts the Ilutchins.m Correspondence, which action on his part was the cause of his ultimate removal. In the same month, De- cember, 177-J, 111 .Ml I'lXi.AV was appointed Surveyor of Post Offices and Post Uoads on the Conlinent of N.irth America, but did not sail from Kngland until the following March. On the :!lsl of January, 177L Franklin was dismissed from bis office, uud on the a.'itb of F.diiuaiy succeeding, bis place was tilled as f.iUows : "February "iritli, 1771, [appoiiilniciils|. Ili<;ii FiM..vv, Ks.|.. Deputy Postmaster (ieneral in North America, in the room uf Dr. Franklin removed."* In a letter written in London. ".1 February 177'J" to Mr. John Foxcroft, lle.s.dent I),.,.uty Postmaster licncal in .Viiicrica, Dr. Franklin refers to the fact of his having "be- come a little obiioximM Io ihc Minisliy "t H,.t. Mag. vol. IV p 17- + Ann.ial llinittrr, vol. XVII., l7-'4, p «♦■ ♦ S|urk>' Krankliii, >ol. VIII , f. 2. XXIV. This Foxoroft, wl.o.n Frnnkhx .ul.lres...s as " P-nr Friond," is oonstnntlv ,<-f..rro.l to In ■•FiM.Av's Jo.KNAt,," "s in authority over him, a.ul th.. one fn.n- whom In- r,....v...! h.s airoctions. Ho is m.o.Mon,'.! in ■■ So/.iu.:, A.,rri.v>, h„^,lisl^r* ns follows: '• Fox. ,...Kr, John One oC the two ,.os.»nasters p.n..r..l of tho rroun in Ih- tlnrt.-n .olonu-s : an.l was noniinally in offi,.,- i. tho v.'.r 17«. a.ul rrolahly un-il tho ..lose of th. .onf.st. Al.-r Uallowav rotiru.l to Kn^'laii.l h.- h,M>aui. orr.>s|ion lonl.' l.-,N,.AV is al«. ■,i,.ntion,.,l in ih,. san,.. work. (S„l.,n..)\ ■' F.Ni.r.KV, llnin. llo au.l John Fo.^,-roft wor,. tho two l'os.n,ast,.rs.i..n,.r.,l ..f ih. thirt,.,-n .■..lo..i.,.s, an.l wor.- .■.,»• tinueJ at (h.. hoa.l ..f .hat .h.,,artn„.nl nntll ITS-J, .-n-alnly. an.l prohaMy until th.' p.^a.-. ' I, w.,.,hl hav.. s....n,...l ..at.iral an.l l.r.,|..r in s.n.lln^ Mr. F,M..»v ..n s.. ,n.,-rtant >i mission as th.' surv.-v ..f th.' wh..lo postal . omuu.ni..ati..n ..f th.> Coh.nios, that .son.. ...nf-'r- enco shuuia have heen hol.l with l»r. Franklin .m tlw s,.h.i...t. llol.linK' -h.. h.^Mu'st ..ffive in the ,l..l.artment, an.l th.,r,H.L.hly a...|..ainte,l with the wh..le suhje.t, and pres.nt .» EnLdan.l, I .au vet fiu.l n.. r..r..ren... t.. his having' any kn..wl,.,l!:.. ..f this survey whatsoever. " Neither .h.'es llr.ai FiNi.vv in his .'.lo. knai.' n.enlion him hy name anywhere, or so much as allude l.i any ..iher aulh.irii., than .Mr. i.'o.x.r.ift. Tnahle t.. ree.n.'eile this eon«i.-t ..f fa, I with |,r.,hahilit\ , T an. f.ireed to the e-.,M.lnsi.,n that the sending' ..f F.ni.av to .\n...ri.a was the prelin.im.ry step in the determined and afterwards sn.....ssf,.l .tlort to .l.priv.. Franklin ..f his p..siti.m, whieh th.- emissary uflor- war.ls r...ei\e.l as th.' reward tor his servi.'.s. Whether Ih.. forwardinfj ..f the llutehins.m ('.ur.>p..ud..n..e t.. Massa.hus.'tls hy Frankli.i was known to the Itritish .Mlnistiy in l>. .emh.r, it is imp..ssil.l.. f..r n.e to l.arn, hot .-erlainly ample time had .'laps.d pre.r to ih. a. lual d.parlure .,f Fim.vv in Mar.h, for that fael to hav.' ...une t.i ihiir kieiwl.'.!).'... The remarks of Fim.av thr...ij;hoiit his •■.l... unal," his fr..i|Ueul ref.'ren.'e t.i tho ill- .■.•linj; ..sistin^' towards (iieat llrilaiii, his eriti.isiu ..f tho i.puduet of p.isl-otliee husiness, (if the ti.lelily of [ oslu.asl.rs an.l h.yally ..f rid.'rs, ar.' all so many rofl..eli..ns up..n Frank- lin ; the most pn.mineut hein^- the utl.r ijrnorin>r "f his name and relali.iu U< the il..par|. ment, Fim.aVs .Lihinal ends ahrupily ..n th. -Jllh ..f May, 1774. in-lead ..f ..n the 'Jlith of .June, as its title-page states ; this liein- ih.- last pa^-e ..f ihe I k in whi.h il is wrill.u I i r v XXV. it is likely that being copied from note-book., the balance for some reason remained ,.nc.,,,icd, as there could not Inve been Hufficient in the short space of thirty-three days to have eilcd another volume ; just about this period F.nlav must have received his appoint- mcnt. ... It has seemed to n»^ that FiNt.AvN Jouknal n.ight do something towards elucmating the secret history of Franklin's dismissal from office. The apparent connection bctvvccn the circulation of the Ilutch'nson Correspondence ; the special survey of the Colonial I'ost-Office Department ; the deposition of Franklin, and the installation in his ph, e of the man appointed to nu.ke the examination, appear to me to mean something more than a mere coincidence. I have made these deductions with the desire that some one betier able than I, should iuvcstigaie the subject, and if there be any truth in the supposition substantiate it, or if not, expose its incorrectness. If by these few notes and selections I shall have added anything to the interest of this curious Jonrnal, I shall feel sufficiently gratified, even if I have not increased our knowledge of American history. Ana, 1867 Fbank U. Noeton, Mmaiiili Librarjf, Smklyn. f: r r JOURNAL I I ht \tl ^^^ /M JOURNAL. In December 1771, the Right Honorable Francis Baron Le Despencer, and the Right Honorable Henry Fredrick Thynne, His Majesty's Post Master General, appointed me to be, Surveyor of Post roads on the Continent of North America; in the month of March following, I was commanded to embark for New York, to be instructed in my duty as Surveyor by the resident Deputy Cieneral there. I arrived at New York in April; Mr Foxcroft was then in Virginia: without waiting his return I proceeded to Canada in consequence of leave obtained in Kngland, and arrived at (Quebec on the last of the month. During my stay there I received orders from Mr Foxcroft to hold my- self in readinefs to enter on service in September by beginning the Survey in exploring the uninhabited country between the most Southerly settle- ments on the River Chaudiere in Canada, and the most Northerly habita- tions on the River of Kennebek in the (lovernment of Mafsachusets Bay. These two Rivers are supposed to take their rise on the height of land between those two Provinces, the first emptys itself into the River St. Lawrence six miles above (Quebec and the other falls into the Atlantic ocean a little to the Eastward of Casco Bay. I had formerly representeil to Mr Foxcroft, that the Post route by l.ake Champlain was tedious and subjeft to retardments; in summer il ^ Journal kept from contrary winds, and every tall and spring, when it begins to freeze, and at the breaking up of the ice, it is absolutely impafsable ; it .s never good above a month in winter. That, The mercantile body had often made complaint of the inconvc- niencys arising from the unavoidable detentions of the New York mails. That, It had been pointed out that shorter routes unobstrufted by Lakes or large Rivers, might be opened; the way by the Chaudiere and Kennebek Rivers down to Falmouth in Casco Bay was represented as short and easy. These representations were attended to by Mr Foxcroft, and in conse- quence, he sent me orders to exami«^the proposed route. 1 communicated the order received, to the Lieut. Governor, Hector Theophilus Cramahe Esqr. who generously promised every aid and all the afsistancj in his power, to carry this desir'd projeft into execution : and as money was necefspry to defray the expence cf the intended Survey, he put his name to a sub/cription paper presented to him, and contributed liberally ; his good example was follow'd by the Gentlemen of the Coun- cil, and in a spirited a^nner by the Gentlemen of the City— in twenty four heurs, more than a sufficiency was raised. Four Indians perfeftly we'l acquainted with all the different pafses, were deemed a numfia*,'!>'.'hcient to conduft me and carry the necefsary provisions : four of the- most expert were accordingly engaged, with an interpreter of the Jienaqui language to meet me on the ifth Sep. at the last Fettlement on the banks of the Chaudiere, and from thence to condua me by the shortest way, to the nearest settlements on the river , Kennebek in New Kngland. They dedar'd themselves able to do this, as these countrys were per- BV Hugh Finlav. 3 feftly well known to them, having been bred in those woods, which they had yearly traversed from their infancy. They proposed to mark (as they shou'd pafs along, in their rough way) the path by which a good road might be cut.— Now from their sketches and remarks, and my own observations, the nature of the country will be known, and the prafticability of opening a communication to our Kenne- bek neighbours shown. On the 13th of September I crofs'd the river St. Lawrence, and pro- ceeded to the last farm on the river Chaudiere, 52 miles S. Easterly of (Quebec, and there met my Indians according to appointment the 15th; the road is pafsable in carriages : the greatest part of it is good, and the inhabitants are dayly making it better. The country all along is very pleasant excepting about twelve miles from the river Echemin (etroit cliemin) to the Chaudiere, the country is poor and marshy, without settlements. The river here is a hundred yards wide, a smooth clear gentle stream with a pebly bottom. The reaches in this river are long between rapid and rapid, but navigable for batteaus only; when the snow melts on the mountains in Spring, the little runs in the high lands are swell'd to torrents, which are empty'd into the Chau- diere : it overflows its banks from this supply, and the present road is at that season overflowed. A little way back from the river the lands rise into fine little hills profusely clad with beautiful trees. This part of the country settles fast. Capt. Neilson and Lieut. Harrison being desirous to accompany me on the expedition, hired two Indians to afsist their servant. On the 15th our little party, eleven in number, embarked in three birch canoes, with twenty days allowance of pork, flower and bisket, depending . JolRNAI. KEPT on our fusils and fish hooks for delicacys. We took our departure from the last house on the Chaudiere and proceeded three miles to the Rapide du Diahle, a strong current so named l>y the Canadians. The Indians, one at the head and the other at the stern of these crank skifs, stood upright and set them up the stream with poles. Our canoes drew about five inches water, in some places of this rapid there was not more than eight; in spite of all pofsihle care the bottoms of our canoes rub'd against large stones that lay here and there under water, and these tender barks are render'd leaky by the slightest touch when under way : we were forced to go on shore and unload them, make a fire to dry them, then we pitched the rub'd parts ; this took up about half an hour ; the Indians are very expert in their own matters. We launched our canoes again into the water, and continued setting against a strong current 7 mdes to the river called La Famine; at the mouth of this river we found two huts inhabited by two familys eiiiploy'd in clearing lands : the soil is rich here, and the wheat it produces is plump and heavy : these Canadians re- gal'd us with green ears of Indian corn roasted, and bak'd pompions and milk ; we pafsed the night on straw spread on the ground. The turnintrs and windings of the river were various, trom S. h. to S. bv W. This is the last settlement in Canada this way. iftth. — Kmbarked early, setting up the Chaudiere four miles to the River des l.oups, course S. K. by S. : the river takes a turn here to the S. S. \V. We leave it to the right, and follow the River des Loups, by the banks of which is the best way to carry a road, being in a diredion free from lakes, marshes or mountains ; all these obstruftions are to be met with in carry- iny a road by the Chaudier . Bv Hut'.H Fin LAV. By the Indian sketch of the country, the Chaudiere route appear'd the shortest, hut much intercepted by ponds, swamps, marshes and mountains, and the report of the guides confirm'd it. It is inipofsibie to guefs distances from an Indian draft; that people have no idea of proportion. The River des Loups is about 40 yards wide at its mouth, is exceeding shallow, rocky and rapid ; indeed at this season we found it so low, that our canoes cou'd not float in many places, and here our fatigue began. We were obliged to wade, the Indians bearing the canoes up as much as pofsible on the surface, thus carrying them slowly along; by continuing long in the water, our feet became so beat and tender, that we endur'd much pain in treading on the rocks and stones in the river ; besides they were so slip- pery that we often fell down. In this disagreeable manner we proceeded six miles, and at 5 o'clock in the evening encamped at the foot of a fall where the river tumbles over a bed of rocks ten foot high. The banks of the river are pretty steep, the courses winding in short reaches from S. E. to S. by W. We unloaded our canoes, lifted them out of the water, and carried them and our provisions, &c., above the fall, made a slow fire, and set the canoes to dry at a distance from it ; then we made a (f'(^wam or hut, of branches, open in front; we next made a large fire at a convenient distance; the floor of our Wigwam we laid with tender sprigs of the aromatick Spruce tree, which comforts the lungs, and defends the breast from noxious night \apours; this makes a soft and agreable bed. After all these matters were arranged, we hung our kettle to the fire, and boil'd pork in sufficient quan- titv for supper, and to last us all next day untill the evening, when the same work is again done. After supper each man wraps himself in his i I ^ J()1'r;;ai. kept blanket, lavs himself down on his spruce bed with his feet to the fire, and pafses the night in sound and refreshing sleep. Wc rise with the sun, pitch our canoes, load them, and leave the encampment. We found trout, ducks and partridge everywhere. Kvery night after supper, Mfntowermel, our chief guide, drew a sketch of rhe next days route on a sheet of smooth birch bark with charcoal, marking the rivu'ets, jionils, lakes, marshes, ascents and descents, ai d dotted the pafs most proper for a road. These sketches I took off on paper, correcting them and laying down the distances as 1 went along, to guide me in protracting the great sketch. He was right in every thing but distances ; when any difficulty occur'd, he called a council of the other five and they redify'd matters among them. I^tg^ All the distances here mentioned are computed. lyth. Proceeded a mile to another fall like the first. We carried our canoes about thirty vards ; w^ waded draging and supporting them this dav as yesterday, anil made i miu-. on our way ; the river winds often in verv short turns, deviating in vhcs', small windings to the right and left from S. K. t)ur canoes were much damaged by rubing against the rocks; thev leak'd much to day. The banks of the river are high, and the lands look well ; they are never overflow'd. lijth. Showery warm weail.er, still wading and draging our canoes — the river narrows and becomes sliallower; it was with much difficulty that we got along ; they took in a great deal of water ; we were obliged to make frequent halts to stop our leaks, yet in spite of all our care our flower got wet. We made 5 miles this ilay ; we encamp'd at the mouth of a large J i 4 4 BY Hugh Kin'lav. 7 brook which here emptys itself into the River dcs Loups that here turns off to the S. W. — the brook comes from the K. a little southerly. The turns in the river this last 5 miles were very short froi.i K. to S. E. We encamped early on purpose to pack up our provisions, &c., in proper packages to be distributed in proportional burthens to each of the party as we were next day to proceed thro' the woods. i^th. — Three Indians carried each man a canoe — three were loaded with pork, flower, kettles and hatchets ; the rest cf the party carried fusils, powder and shot, paddles, blankets and all our remaining baggage; thus we set forward in Indian file keeping a S. by K. direftion, we immediately lose the brook, it is on our left. The way is much -bstrudted by fallen trees, large stones and there's some miry places in it; we continued on a gentle ascent 5 miles and crofs'd the brook which was to our left, we now kept it to the right at a distance still rising gently, except in two or three places where it is a little steep; after a walk of three miles from the place where we crofs'd the brook, we descend gently half a mile to a lake from whence the brook ifsues ; we took nine hours to walk 9 miles. The branches of the trees tore and bruised our canoes, the boughs caught our packs, and so entangled us that at times we cou'd not disengage ourselves for minutes, we scrambled over, and sometimes crept under fallen trees ; tangled shrubs catch'd our feet and threw us down under our burthens : we had a most fatiguing march. After refreshing ourselves and mending our canoes, we embarked on still transparent water cover'd with oullrushes, this led us into a round small lake which narrows and brought us into another round bason rather larger, the course over both S. a mile, then pafsing a vjrv narrow strait, it suddenly widens into apiece of water three MiWi iiiimaaMii jj Journal kept „,i,.s lo„« and two .,ui a halt bro.i, with a tVw snull isla.uls ,n it. The lands a little wav fron, the water rise gradually to a great h.ghth all around. «eepting to the S. K. The woods arc poor, n.de up ot hacl p,ne s,>ruce and hirl We proceeded the whole length ot the lake S. In S. „,,,,,,. all of a sudden at the end. and >s filled w.th rocky httle ,sland ,•„,. a quarter of a n.ile ; we landed at the left hand corner o» the end ot this strait, took up our hurthens as before and march << t ro the wooes ascending a little more than a quarter of a nule and walk d a I a n„le farther on a descent to a lake, the course S. h. ^.=>.Half wav over this carrying place is the just he.ght ot la.v.l l„tween Canada and New Kngland, consequenMy the boundary hne between tin. Province of Quebec, and Mafsachusets Bay will be a line drawn halt wav between the lake we just left, and th,., .ake ; the line wou'd run n, a N ■ F diredion, the waters of the lake behind us fall at last .nto the River St Lawrence, and the waters of this lake join the river ot I'enobscot which falls into the Atlantic Ocean. On this hiuhth the roads sImuM join. We are here .;« nules distant from Ouebec', and 4'- fnun the last house on the river Chaud.ere. We encamped on the ban': of this lake which is in New iM,gland. ,oth,-Kn,barked on the lake and steered I'.. S. l'.. half a n,ile to an island, and there the lake rakes a turn to tne S. W. ; then vse ..pen a re „,arkable hiuh nu.untain |,car,MU S.-we steer S. W. : miles to the end ot the lake where it contrafts and falls ,.ver a bed of rocks m a torrent ot :o vards broad, we left it to the riuht. and walked half a mile S. K. bv S. to ., little lake I of a mile over which we crossM S. !•.. bv S. ; then ^^e took ^,,, our canoes and pack^ and «alk\l S. bv i:. about < miles ..ver bare 11 ! K 4 BY HlICH KiNLAV. 9 roots of trees, so interlaced and twisted that they resemble the skin of a corded melon. From the last lake there ifsuer, a rivulet which we keep to the right for three miles, then we crofs it, and it runs to the left of us but out of sight, until it falls into the river Penobscot where we join it. Penobscot where we enter it is about thirty yds broad, and it encreases until it emptys itself at the mouth of the Bay of P'undy. We put our canoes into it, paddling with the stream; it serpentines very much, the longest reaches run S. S. E. I computed that we made sixteen miles over the surface of the water tho' not more than 8 in our course. This river is full of salmon and trout, its banks are marked all over with the marks of the hoofs of moose-deer and the feet of other animals : — along the riverside there's fine extensive meadows running far into the land ; the woods appear very fine; they are of oak, mapple, ash, beech and birch — the farther we advanced the water became deeper, and the current almost imperceptible. We encamped in a fine open wood of beech and black birch ; This d.iy was showery and cold. 2i8t. — Continued our way down the Penobscot winding exceedingly about 4 miles, on the whole E. b S., here it takes a large sweep to the right running rapidly over rocks and shoals; to avoid it we took to the woods and walk'd N. N. E. a mile to the foot of the shallows, vhere we got into our canoes and paddled East i of a mile, and to save another larje sweep of shallows to the left, we walkM about 200 yds S. E. and came out of the wood at a place where a river e/ery way equal to the Pen- obscot joins it from the N. N. E. and increases in breadth and depth very much. The hinds begin to look exceeiling rich here; the country is very fine, beautifully variegateil with different shatles of lively green ; We ^1 10 JoiRNAi. KEl'T proccciii-il liown the river winding to and fro' hut making good a S. S. K. cDursc lb miles to an island which parts the river in two, one part running N. K. the other E. S. K., we tolhiwed the last iiranch keeping the islanii on our left hand, and a little way down wc put on shore to the right hand, and walked thro' the woods about lOO yds S. h I', to a ileail creek — we followed its winding courses in our canoes about halt a mile — it lead us into a round dead pond cover'd with broad leaves of a water plant. We steered over it S. In K. a ijuarter ot" a mile, its diameter, and encamped in the woods near it. ;2d. — We march'd thro' the woods, a mile S. to another dead creek half a mile in length leadinu; us also S. winding to a large lake called by our Indians Moose-paniii ; we entered the lake at the eastern extremity, it appeared about two miles wide. Opposite to the mouth ot' the creek there's two small rocky islands, a little way off. Looking ilown the lake Southw •;war, i ha\'e to appearance a reach of six or eight miles. I'he country :" it: i .a ward is mountainous. This lake takes its name from a very remarkable mountain on the S. side, about nine miles down, the Indians say it resembles a moose-deer stooping. We found a high surf on the lake, and the wind strong at S. W. We kept the right hand shore close aboard and paddled 7S miles ilireCtly in the winds eye. We cou'd stand it no longer, our canoes being almost tilled with the spray, our flower was wetted, so we put ashore and encamped. riic wind encreasetl to a heavy gale with great rain — the billows on the lake ran mountain high. The lands on which we encamped are very rich, the trees are large lofty and t)f the liest timl>er such as oak, walnut. Pi BV Hl'SH ImNLAV. II mapple, bctch, ash and black birch, the lake is about six miles or may be 8 in width here, and begins to narrow farther down. 2jd. — 'l"hewind fell before daylight and the lake was soon smooth, tho" there remain'd a heaving and long swell, however impatient to get forward we embarked and continued along the right hand shore a mile, then slaunted over to a point on the opposite shore 4 miles southerly ; behind this point the lake widens on all hands and shews a noble body of water finely rayed by long low points of land running off from the shore ; many rich islands cover'd with tine wood add much to the beauty of the pros- pedt. We turned ipiick round the point and paddled S.S.K. keeping now on the left hand shore to a charming point richly clad with oak without underwood ; from this point we steer'd S. by E. to a point on the right hand sitle from whence we had a noble view of the lake which now widens very much and is filled with large islands; from point to point may be 3 miles. From this last we steered S. S. W. 2 miles keeping the right hand shore and came to the head of the River Aranso .k or Kennebek. Its first ifsue from this lake, is in a smooth clear sh . of about a hundred yards wide in a very gentle current — the surface is like a mirror; it narrows to about 40 yds in the course of a quarter of a mile, encreasing in velocity till at last it rushes furiously over a bed of rocks for 9 miles in winding courses from S. to \V. ami back to S., the westerly reaches being the longest. The River now widens into a circular pond half a mile over S. W. course, it afterwards contrarts itself for ;o ^ yds and runs VV. when it widens again to a ipiartcr of a mile runing S. W. b W. ; mile, it then takes its ordin-'y width and continues a little way with a gentle current, and then rushes suddenlv over a bed of steep rocks for a mile ami continues rapid for a MM 12 Journal kept mile farther S. W., where we wereoblig'd to make ;i carrying place to avoid a large sweep in the river in very dangerous rapids. We carried our canoes, packs, &c. 4 miles in the woods in a S. W. direction ; it then grew duskish and we encamped. 24th. — We proceeded with our faces to the S. W. three miles farther to the bank of a steep precipice ; with difficulty we got to the rivers side and embarked, padling with the stream ten miles, sometimes in strong and dangerous rapids veering backward and forward from S. to W.; here a river coming from the Northward joins the Kinnebek ; it rises as is said near the sources of the River Chaudiere. The country from the head of the river is poor, wild and rocky, cover'd with dwarf pine, spruce and unthriven birch. We continued farther ij miles in varying courses from the S. W. to S. to a place well known to the 'ndians called the great carrying place. This leads to the river I have mention'd. The Interpreter, and the Indi- ans are to return to Canada this way for which reason we went on shore and left pork and flower, well wrapt up ir birch bark, and hung the bundles on the branches of trees to preserve them from wild beasts. This will serve them on rhcir return. The country bcuins to wear a more smiling aspect, and continues for 5 miles winding as before, down to a charming island where the country is past description, enchanting. The Indians much frequent this tract, on account of the incredible quantity of game with which the woods are stored, ami the river here swarms with salmon, trout, and other fish. Continuing the same route or ilirection fot 4 miles farther we came to a fall of about eight feet in perpemlicular highth most romantically beautiful: the river is confined between two rocks, and rushes over in a surprising By Hugh Finlay. 13 manner foaming with incredible fury : it falls into a fine rock-bound bason perfectly circular and full of fish, we encanip'd on the side of this bason with the fall in front, and we caught a great quantity of fine fish here in a few minutes. :5th. — Last night it froze hard. We left this very delightful spot and went with the stream S. S. I"".. 5 miles among fine islands cover'd with oak, beech, walnut, mapple and elm, and continued our route 8 miles tarther in courses all round the compafs (still among islands) to a rapid where we were ohiig'd to make a carrying place of a mile: the course S. thro' a grove of fine tall pines. We kept the river on our left; we embarked at the foot of the rapid, and continuing a mile southerly we came to a cleared point of land on tiie left hand shore, where there was formerly a large village of the Abena(]ui Indians, it was called Aransoak, now Noridgewalk, it was deserted about the year 1756, not a vestige of it now remains. Opposite to this point the Kennebek receives a river coming from the westward ; on its banks we saw many haystacks, the first indication of inhubitants that we perceived, but we cou'd not descry any hut or house. 'I'urning round the point we saw a smoak, and at some distance we came to a hut where we found two men, wlio had clear'd some acres of land and had sown it with wheat and rye ; they intend to build a house here next year. I'Vom this place to the nearest inhabitants is 10 miles. We continued our route and arriv'd at a number of fine settlements. We went to Capt. Jonathan Oaks's plantation ; he had been settled here but a year yet he had put joo bushels of grain into his barn this harvest. He served in the Provincials last war. lie inform'd me that from his house to Seguine Island at the mouth of Kennel>ck is 78 miles chained. ■ i H Journal kept The country is quite new, tiierc's no roads open'd, there's but uhs thro' the woods from settlement to settienicnt. I discharged my Indians here, and instrurted tlie Interpreter tt) return In- the ureat carrying place where we left provisions. I gave him written instruAions how to take the courses and direfted him how to compute the distances, and to note the remarks of the Indians with their account of the nature of the country as they went along—and I recom- mended it to him, to keep it ever in his mind that the intention of this examination was to learn the most proper pafs for a road. NVe parted from our Indian friends and proceeded down the Kennel.ek in wooden canoes without meeting with anything remarkable. The country settles fast, therefore it is but reasonable to imagine that high-wavs will in tmie be opened, by which means there will be an easv communication ..etween Nondgewalk and Brunswick; from this last mentioned place, one may ride on horseback to balmouth in Casco Bav, which is the last Post I own in New England and the nearest to (Juebec. We left Kennebek River at Merry-meeting bav, rowed up the river . Amorescogg,n to Brunswick, and from thence over land four miles to Casco Bay, embark'd there in a canoe, and nrriv'd at Falmouth on Thurs- day the .50th of September, having been five davs from Capt. t)aks's to tb.s place, ,S m.les distant. It was with the utmost difficultv that we could procure canoes to carry us alonu. BY Hugh Finlay. IS It appears by this Journal that the distance From (Quebec to Launieres the last house on the River 1 Chaudiere, in a good road is J From Launiere's house, to carry a road in the best path," thro" a country dry and level, (as appears by the proper route p'rotraded) down to Noridgewalk the first and nearest settlement in New England From Noridgewalk to Oaks's or Wafsarunset R. lo From Wafsarunset to Falmouth in Casco Bay 9^ Miles 52 ISO In all from (Quebec to Falmouth 310 The lands on the Kennebek are the property of some gentlemen known by the name of the Plymouth Comp'y, they will not give any encourage- ment to open this road. And I have it from good authority that the Afsemblywill not grant one ghilling towards opening a road this way, into Canada. The Publick says, let the Plymouth Company improve their property by opening high-ways, why shou'd the people contribute to make their estate valuable ! Besides an opinion prevails, that all the country Fast of New Hampshire will be cut off from the Mafsaehusets Bay and made a Province bounded by Nova Scotia. (iovernor Hutcheson promised to write to the Minister on this matter, and that he would recommend the plan as beneficial to commerce in general, and in particular of benefit to the Provinces of Quebec and Mafsaehusets. i6 Journal kept Jt The Post OJice at Falmouth in Casco-Bay, zd Oflober, 177J Mr Child the deputy there represents, that no allowance has been made to him in lieu of the liberty of franking which was taken from him, and he got the promise of an equivalent, — he says that he advis'd the late Comptroller that he valued his postage at 40s. Str '^ ann. He further represents that the employment is very troublesome to him, and of no manner of advantage, nay that it is a loss to him, for he cannot withstand the earnest solicitations of indigent people who have letters by the post, he delivers them, and never receives payment. I'.very person who looks for a letter or a news paper freely enters his house, be it post day or not; he cannot afford to set apart a room in his house as an office; he is continually disturb'd in his family, he theefor begs that some other person may be appointed in his stead, unless an office is allowed him. As naval officer, he gives dayly attendance at the Custom house, under that roof there is a small room to lett, which wou'd be a commodious office for him and convenient for the I'ublick. The people of Falmouth know Mr Child, they wish he may continue to be Post Master, as he is a careful man, and they are sensible of the ailvantage of a regular communication with the other parts on the conti- nent. From his general chararti.-r anti what I saw of him, I think he will endeavor to encrease the Revenue by every means in his power as long as he takes charge of the office. I-roni the great numbers of people settling to the Fastwanl of {''almouth, 1 imagine that correspondence must encrease much in these parts. BY Hugh Finlay. 17 There's two or three vefsels in constant employment between Boston and Falmouth ; they ar-; called Packets, each of them makes about twenty trips yearly, and every trip they carry many hundreds of letters. Mr Child once attempted to put the Law in force and took the letter-bag of one of those vefsels to the office, but it made such a bustle and noise in town that he dared never attempt it again. The Masters of these vefsels say, that each letter accompanys a package on freight, and that they will not deliver them to the Post Master f. r that reason : it is well known that not one letter in ten accompanys goods, yet the law is so defedive that the aft can never be put in force. The Post from Boston arrives here every Saturday about four o'clock in good weather, he remains in Falmouth until Wednesday morning, and proceeds to Portsmouth 62 miles which he performs in 36 hours. The rider has £35 Str. H ann. a|id is paid by the o(6ce at Portsmouth, he is sober, honest and diligent. The road from Falmouth to Portsmouth is good in summer, in winter indifferent, there's some bad bridges. .// Portsmouth iu New Hamfshin, f/A Oilakr, Ekazer Ru/sel/, Dep. His office is small and looks mean, his books are in good form and up to this day ; he is a careful regular officer, he understands his businefs and seems to have the interest of the office at heart. The Post from the Westward, that is the mails from Virginia, Mary- land, Pensylvania, Jersey, New York and Boston arrive at his office at 11 o'clock in good weather— in winter after a fall of snow, or heavy rain, he seldom arrives before ten o'clock at night, when the wind blows hard from sam i8 Journal kept certain points, he is detained at the ferry at Newbury Port, for there's no pafsing there in a high wind. One Stavers some years ago began to drive a stage coach between Ports- mouth and Boston : his drivers hurt the office very much by carrying letters, and they were so artful that the post master cou'd not deteft them ; it was therefore judged proper to take this man into the pay of the office, and to give two mails weekly between Boston and Portsmouth. This was of no disadvantage to the Post office because the mails brought by the stage coach did rather more than pay .€10 Str. Stavers's yearly salary. At this day there's many stages between this place and Boston, and they hurt the office much. Mr Rufsel says that the drivers cannot be deteded, they have small sham bundles with each letter or they are given to the Passengers in the coach, who will without hesitation say that they are letters of recommenda- tion which they carry. Mr Rufsel advises to keep Stavers in pay because the people have been so long accustomed to have two mails weekly, the publick wou'd raise a clamour were one taken away, and as Stavers's salary is paid from the amount of the letters he brings to the office, it is best to let things remain as they are for the present. The coach mail (Stavers's) shou'd arrive on Saturdays at midday, but it is very irregular, depending entirely on the state of the roads, so that Mr Rufsel is oblig'd to attend at his office for this mail from midday until midnight to receive and deliver the letters, for it is a rule with him to do no busincfs on Sunday — yet hitherto he has carried home all Publick letters that were not sent for in time and he has delivered them even on Sundav at his own house. BY Hugh Finlay. 19 By the books it appears that the stage mails amount from 6 to 30 dwt. Thus Mr Rufsei's time as Post Master is taken up. On Monday evening the mails for the Westward are made up, the stage leaves Stavers's at sunrise next morning. On Wednesday the Post arrives from the Westward— in winter much attendance is required on these days. On Thursday at Noon the Falmouth Post arrives; there's frequently no letters in summer. The benefit arising from this Post is but small, for correspondence is entirely carried on by the coasting vefsels m summer. When they are laid up in winter for two or three months there's tollerable mails between Boston and Falmouth. On Friday the Ma.ls for the Westward and Eastward are made up. For Newbury, Salem, Boston, &c at 1 1 o'clock and for Falmouth at 10 o'clock. On Saturday as has been mention'd the stage mail arrives and long attendance is requisite in Winter. Mr Rufsel prays that he may have a quarterly allowance in lieu of the liberty he formerly enjoyed viz. to frank his own letters, sent or received, and that allowance may be made to him from the time that Mr Parkers circular letter depriv'd him of that perquisite. He declares on h.s word that it was a saving to him of £6 to M lawful money yearly. He also for his own sake prays, that it may be had in remembrance, that he is oblig'd to deliver the Governors letters without receiving the post- .ge-in the common run of the Provincial publick businefs he cannot receive the amount of his account under .2 months, because .t must pafs in Afsembly. He fears that his slownefs in remitting the balance of h.s account may appear in his disfavour. w 20- Journal kept 6th of Oftr.— I left Portsmouth to wait on Govr. Wentworth at his seat at Wolfsborough 48 miles North of Portsmouth ; I carried a letter of introduction to him from Mr Koxcroft who is very desirous to have n road opened thro' any of the neighbouring Provinces into Canada to avoid lakes and water carriage, which so often detains the couriers with the mails to and from that country, to the great prejudice of the trade in that flour- ishing Province; and as Governor Wentworth from a superior publick. spirit has exerted himself beyond belief in settling the Provin"-: under his care, even back to the boundary between New Hampshire and Canada. It is imagined nay it is certain, that thro' New Hampshire will be the best and easvest way to Canada especially considering that the roads are opened and the country settled almost up to the line of 45°. It only remains with Canada to meet New Hampshire, and I compute that there will not be much above a hundred miles to open. I found the Governor just as he had been represented, ever willing and always ready to second any proposal that has the least tendency to be of service to the Publick or of benefit to his Province ; he afsured me that he would have roads open'd immediately to the very line, and that in due time, he would have convenient stages at ten to fifteen miles distantt, wliere a change 'lorses might be procured at a short warning. His 'ncv recommended a Surveyor to me whom 1 immciliately dispatcn c. lo Canada, to take the courses, measure the distance by compu- tation and make remarks on a route prescrib'd to him, vi/.. Krom a gap in the White hills, down to the Indian village of St. Francis on a river jf tht same name which emptys itself into the River St. Lawrence 7 or 8 leagues above three rivers on the opposite side. Bv Hugh Finlay. 31 1 saw the surveyor set out, and then took my leave of the Governor, and return'd to Portsmouth the 8th of Odober at night. (jth. Settled Mr Rufsels accounts of many years standing and receive'd the balance of his account cur't. with the General Post Office and mem. in my book of settlements with Dcputys, Note: That Mr Rufsel takes no advantage of the course of exchange in his remittances at different times. Mr Parker the late Comptroller gave him credit in the Comptrollers books at par, but he bought bills under par which makes a considerable difference to the office, and which as he observed he might have pocketed, but in jus- tic: he accounts for it. Mr Rufsel never had a commifsion ; no copy of instrudions, he begs to ^ have both with an exemption from publick service. In consequence of hints dropt by several people concerning the carelefs- nefs of the driver of Staver's coach with regard to letters put into his hands, I inform'd Stavers of these complaints. His son drives the coach, he was called in before me, and 1 gave him a severe reprimand laying before him the consequences of his want of care, and shewing him that if ever he did attempt to defraud the office by receiving money for carrying letters, and afterwards concealing it without accounting to the Post Office he wou'd be severely punished. This stage driver, as he is in the service of the office shou'd give bonds, shou'd take a rider's oath and he shou'd be furnished with extrarts from the Aft of Parliam't relative to Riders, ami if extrafts were put up in publick places of Inns on the roads where stage coaches and carriers pafs, shewing them the risk they run by illegal carriage o*" letters, and have the same inserted and continued for some months in all the publick papers, it might have a very good effeft. - JoiRNAI. KEPT L.L.''t Portsmouth after liiniur, ami arrivctl at AV«' /('//;;>■ {11 milfs\, liiilkelcy Emerson, Ihfx. On Suiula) Kith liid no Imsiiu'ss. Monilay i ith. — l'.xamiin.;i the hooks, they wen- in form ami up to this liay : he has no ortici-, Inir rcccivis and delivers letters in his shop, ht is a hooksciicr. 1 Ic seems to he a stayed, sober man. Received the balance ot the ipiarter endint; the 5th. 1 he Post from Boston arrives on Tuesdays at '. o'clock in fheevenintr. I'rom Portsmouth on the same day at one V. M. h'rom Boston on l-'riday 6 o'clock P. M. in summer. i'rom i'ortsmouth on I'Viday befmn 4 and 5 P. M. I he mad for Boston is made up on i'utsdav, one o'clock. ■■or the I'.astward at the samf time. I'or Boston on l-'riday 4 o'clock P. M. i'or the Kastward at the same time, hut there's seldom any letters either tor Kast or West. i'lie stages and private conveyances take all. Left a copy of Mr l'oxcr,.tts directions to me da'ed 16th Sept. to settle and receive halanc-s tVoni the Deputy I'ost masters. .\1- l-.merson thinks that the want of Post-horn, is a loss to the oflice, tor In warnint; given l.v the horn many letters wou'd go l,v I'ost whicli are now sent In other oportunitv's-the I'ost shou'd l.h.w before the hour of shutting, and in passing on hu «,,v manv letters wou'd be deliver',! to him. Il^' asks, whether, ,f the dn^e:•s of stages were to he paui apennv tor tverv letter tnev bring to the office he m.ght charge two pence (or allsuch BY Hugh Fini.av. 23 lis a I" I' letters deliverable in town. The Rider who brings the mails to this office is pundlual. The office here neither encreases nor diminishes, the rece't is from t!9 to Cio lawful, quarterly. Left Newbury and proceeded 12 miles to Ipswitch, James Foster, Depy. Cone to the country ; he keeps a small shop. Left direftions for him in writing to send his accots. with the (Jeneral Post office by next I'ost., dire(!tcd for me at the Post office in Boston, and also to send the balance of his account, and to inform me of the days and hours of the arrival of mails at his office, and the times of the Post's departure from his office, with any proposals he may have to make for the good of the office— with his rcpoi t of the riders employed. Proceeded 1 2 miles to Salem, Edward Norice, Depy. Oftobcr I ith.— His books were not in good order, he follows the form, hut thcv are dirty and not brought up regularly ; he understands the busincfs of a deputy. The office is kept in a snail mean looking place. I le teaches writing. He has no commifsion to act, he took charge of the office at the d'.-ath of his father ; he reports that tvery other day the stage coach goes for Boston, the drivers take many letrers, so that but few are t'orwarded bv I'ost to or rr..m his office. If an information were lodged ,but an informer vvou'd get tarM and feather'dl no jury wou'd find the tact; it is dcctn'd ncevfsarv to hinder all ..els of Parliament fmm taking effert in mmmm 24 Joi R\AL KEI'T America. I'liey arc- they say to l,c governed In laws oftlieir own t'raming aiul no other. While Mr Norrice was making up his accounts I went down the i :th, four miles, to Marblehead, U'oodivard .Urahams, l),pui\. Hew.isfrom home: his wife informs me that he accounts to Mr Hub- hard, I'ost Master in Boston, an.l the qu.arfer endini; the 5th |uly was settled and transmitted. Wrote a letter to Mr .Abrahams, as follows : ^^ "My t.usinefs with you was to look into your office books, to receive "the quarters account ending the 5th ..f this month, and the balance due " by you to the (Jeneral Office, and t.. enc,uire if vou have anything to " propose for the good of the service, or anvthini; to represent needing "amendment, but as I have mifsM of you, I pravvou to transmit the "accounts and balance to me at Mr Hubbard's ,n Boston bv the rirst " Post: and be so good as to inform me of any matter which vou think a " Surveyor shouM be m.ule acquainted with, whose husinefs is to further "the interest of the (ieneral I'ost Office, and facilitate correspondence by "every pofsible means. I shou'd be glad to know particularlv how the " mails are forwarded, since John Noble cannot ride thro' this ' place. 1 "shall leave Salem for Boston ,0 morrow mornint-. where I shall remain " s mie days." In passing thro' the street in mv wav back to .Salem. I met Mr Abra- bams on his return from the country : a few minutes before mv letter w-.s P"t ."to his han.ls. he promised ,„ u.mpiv w„h mv demands. He appear, t.. be an intelligent man; he has an emplovment in the Customs and keeps the I'ost Office where he does Custom House businefs Hi'GH Imnlav. 25 Noble, the rider, cannot go down to Marblehead at present. The small- pox is in Salem, and was he to go down with the mail he wou'd be oblig'd to undergo the ceremony of smoaking, that is, to be fumigated with brim- stone; as he is of a weakly constitution he cannot submit to it, therefore he leaves the Marblehead bag to take its chance of a conveyance; opportu- nitys happen once or twice a day, yet it sometimes lies for days at Salem —the people in Marblehead complain of this. It is Noble's duty to send it down by a person sent on purpose, this rider is careful, sober and punrtual ; he rides all the way to Portsmouth. On my return to Salem I settled with Mr Norice, who would not swear to his accounts as he has no commifsion. The Post from Boston arrives at Salem on Tuesday 12 o'clock, and he is dispatch'd for the Eastward at I ; coming from Boston the rider goes first to Marblehead. He returns from the Eastward every Saturday morning at 10 o'clock, and takes Marblehead on his way to Boston. Left Salem and proceeded ii miles to Boston, (u-here I nrrncd the \i,th\, ■T'uthill lliihlnn;!. Post Master. During the stay that 1 made in Boston, 1 \s -oduc'd to some of thi principal people in town. 1 got information n nig the office. 1 learnt their complaints -.md heard their proposal ilniatm.; ill ciiu^ie of disciiiitent. I'loni time to tiini 1 consulted with Mr Hubbard at" it the most likely means to put everything on the best footing. Wait ' I Us ExtelUno (Jovirnor Hutcheson to learn if the Province undet ns eoinniand would 26 Joi'RNAL KEI'T agree to open a road from the settled country on the river of Kennehek, to the houndarv line dividing Mafsaehusets from the Province of (Juehec, afsurint; him th; t Lieut, (iovernor Cramahe would inimeiiiately meet him from the last settlements on the river t'haudiere to the extent ot his gov- ernment towards the Mafsachusets. His F.xci'llen.y informed me, That the troubles and confusion now subsisting in hi^ Province, join'd to the present spirit of the people, left him but little room to imagine that any regard wou'i! be paid to any proposal coming from him however beneficial to the Province, but that it Wdu'il rather be vigourously opposM. lie said that he wouM certainlv write to the Minister on this matter. I had the honor to dine with him on the : ;ii, wluii we talk'd over the road scheme a second time — 1 tiiul that there's no prosped of receiving any afsistance from the .\fsendiK. I also made it my business to learn the opinions of such as I know, concerning the propos'd new road. It is thought, that if a grant of monev were requesteil for this service, the proposal wou'd be rejetled — because the majority of the house haw lands to the Westward. The new settle- ments on Kemubek, \c. drain the Western parts of i!k Province of their inhabitants, and reduce the value of lands, tor this reason thev will not encourage the settlement of the j-.ast by opening roads, or in anv other way; and another reason eipially wcightv, is: The people imagine that all the lands lying to the I'.astwanl of Pisiataway River as far as the western boumlary of Nova Scotia, will be seperated from the Mafsachusets, and erefted info a new Province. In this case the monev expendeii on a road into Canada this way, would be so much lost to the Province of the Maf- sachusets, I BY Hugh Finlav. 27 I apply'd to some of the proprietors of a very extensive traft of land lying on the banks of the River of Kennebek— it is the property of the I'lyniouth Company : they are very sensible that a road thro' their great trad would accelerate the settlement of their lands, and in a few years double their value; but from Doctor Gardiner (a principal) I find that they imagine that they may have interest with the House of Afsembly, to grant a sum for the purpose of opening a Post road thro' their lands up to the boundary between (Quebec and Mafsachusets in the streightest direc- tion ; I find also that if they shou'd be disappointed in their expeftations, they will probably open the communication themselves if they find it necefsary to induce settlers, yet their attempt to obtain a grant will require much time— thev will spare no pains to save their own money — thus it appears that the opening of this most desirable pafs is at a very distant period unlefs some Regiments by an order from home, are put to this very useful work. The Deputy Post Master General commanded me " to enquire minutely " into the time of the arrival of the Saturday's Post at Boston, and what "there is to hinder them from getting in by 11 or li o'clock in place ot " the evening." Mr Hubbard receives the mails from the Westward, in the summer about 6 o'clock in the evening of Saturday, in winter the arrival of the I'ost is very uncertain, it is sometimes late on Sunday when snow, and high winds, with floating ice detains him at the different ferrys. He says, that the arrival of the I'ost sooner than six o'clock on Saturday evening cannot benefit the trading body in Boston, as they have until Monday I't two o'clock to answer their letters. 28 Joi RNAI. KKI'T The iiKTcliaiits iicvcrtlulcls wish ti) liiivc tlic arrival of the mails tixM to 12 o'clock on Saturdays because if the fix'il aiui customary time is twelve, he may surely ijet in by the evening in bad weather and of course our letters will be deliver'd to us on Saturday night, at present si\ is the hour, but it is sometimes so late 'ere the Post arrives that we cannot get our letters out of the office until Sunday evening — for Mr Huhbards rule is to keep the office shut until sunset on Sunday. Peter Mumford rides between Boston antl New Port in Rhode Island; be has never given bond nor did he ever take a Post rider's oath. 1 le avers that he is an expeditious rider and faithful to the office; publick report is against him ; it is said that he carries more letters for his own private profit than are sent from all the offices he stops at, to the office at Boston. He transads a great deal of businefs on the road, loads his carriage with bundles, buys and sells on commifsion, and in short but carrvs the mail by the by as it helps to defray his expences. Of this I shall take no further notice here; 1 shall make farther enquiry's as 1 pafs along to New Port, there tender the oath to him and bring him under bonds. N.B. To accomplisli Mr I'oxcrofts desire the titne granted to the different riders nuisr be regulated, that six hours may be ijain'd in the ridiny work between New '^'ork and Boston, which may most certainly he done, but as I pafs along from office to office I shall be enabled to ascertain this matter. Peter Mumfords ride from Boston to New Port is Ho miles pafsinu thro' I'rovidence, Warren and Bristol for which service he is obliged to keep three horses and is paid L'40 Str. \> ann. lie should leave Boston at three o'clock Monday afternoon, but I am told th.it it is ; or (1 ere he takes horse, he arrives at Pro\ idence, 4< miles. !| BY Hugh Finlay. 29 at 9 o'clock next morning and at New Port, 35 miles farther, ^t 5 o'clock in the evening of Tuesday. On his return from New Port with the western mails he leaves that office on Friday, half past two P. M., pafs.ng thro Bristol and Warren he arrives at Providence between 7 and 8 o'clock on Saturday morning, he leaves it at 9 and arrives at Boston at siX in the evening in fine weather. r l- • u Thus 26 hours are requir'd to rid. 80 miles. The reason of this is, the rider sleeps by the way. If this ride is too much for one man to perform let the ride be divided in two, and let there be no sleeping. Twenty hours may be given to ride 80 miles, and there will be time sufficient to feed and chan„st Office matters, and who seems to be a Post Master in his heart. His office is neat, his books tair and up, his papers are in M BY Hugh Finlay. 35 order and every thing is in due form. One bad custom has crept in at New London, the people in Mr Chews time (the former Post Master) had free accefs at all times to the office; Mr Miller bus attempted to break this custom, but he finds he cannot, without quarreling with his friends Mr Miller regularly transmits his quarterly accounts to the comptroller The whole income of his office goes to pay the rider Benjamin Mumford between Saybrook and New Port, a distance of 60 miles, with five ferrys, on the whole the most difficult and as dangerous as any in America; the road without exception the worst, for which service he is paid €SS Str. ? ann--he says that the number of horses he hurts thro' the badnefs of the roads runs away with all his profit, and that as there's no manner of per- quisite for a rider between Saybrook and New Port, his wages are too small to provide him in horses and maintain his family. I firmly believe it. It is the custom on every stage that I have surveyed, for the Post rider to execute commifsions on the road-I have been informed that Peter Mumford the rider between Newport and Boston makes above tioo Str. yearly of his employment over and above his wages from the Post office. Benjamin Mumford petitions that his stage may be between New Port and New London and no farther, and that he may be allow'd h.s present salary for that service. On consulting Mr Miller on this matter he said he wou'd afsign reasons why B. Mumford should not proceed to Saybrook, and the next day he delivered a paper to me containing the following reasons: "Mr Miller, Deputy Post Master of New London, is of opinion that "the stages from the Eastward and Westward to this town upon the pres- "cnt footing is unequal to the riders, an inconveniency to thepublick, and "of hurt to the Revenue, therefore begs leave to propose, J6 JoiRNAl. KEPT ^ "ist, Tlwr the Kastcrn riilcr Ben. Miimford' may make his stage "between this tmvii anvi Newport: it will he as much as he or any man "can perform in the time allotted him considering the terry's at New I'ort "and at New London, which he must pals to perform it — He should not "proceed to Savhrook as he now does. " :d, That the Western do meet the Kastcrn riiler at this place on "Wednesday evcnini.', which may he done if the Western rider will make "more expedition than he now does, or another rider may he a|/pointed at "Savhrook to receive the m;>il from the Westward and pro;eeil with it to "this office. "jd, To exchange mails at this place will lie extremely agreeable to the "merchants, as it wil' jnit it in their power to return answers to all the "letters thev receive, the same week, which as the mails are now forwarded "they cannot do, and thus a lofs arises to the "ievenue as they are obliged "to send their letters by boats \c. for want of a more expeditious "conveyance. "4th, The reasonahlenefs of this projiosal will appear, when it is con- "sidered that this place is nearly centrical between New \'orkand Boston, "there being but a tew miles tlifterence, and at Saybrook where the riders "exchange mails, tlv.'re's no office. ''5th, If it be juil'jed expedient that the above regulations take place it "will be necefsary to nuike an alteration relative to the paym't of the "salary paid at this office to the T.astern rider, namelv, that after paying "the Sa' Brook lidcr, the remainder be p.uil to MumfortI, and for what "may fall short in this office let him apj U to the I'ost Master at New "Port; the revenue of the New I.oiulon office has not hitherto been able "to tlischarge a ureafer >.utn than MumtiirdN wages. i [ Bv Hugh Finlay. .17 "6th, In the winter, it often happens that the Posts are deta.n'd at "Say Brook ferry, by ice, winds, &c. when this happens, let them give a "signal to each other, and proceed farther up the river where they may • , .. Sicn'd, J. S. Miller. "cross with ease. -^'y^f j After having perused the above representation and put several questions to Mr Miller, I inform'd him that I shou'd lay the matter before the Deputy Cieneral, after examining the other part of B. Mumfords st .ge to the Westward of New London. I desir'd him to enquire for a proper person at Saybrook or in New London, in the meantime who wou'd under- take the ride, if it should be thought proper to alter the Kastern riders Waited with impatience for Mumford's arrival from New Port. The time fixed for the arrivals fron, thence are Wednesday evening 6 o'clock. The rider proceeds 5 miles to the rope ferry, there he sleeps, and proceeds next morning to Say Brook 13 miles, where ',c arrives at .. o'clock, he there meets the Western rider, and he exchanges mails with him and immediately sets out on his return to New London, where he arrives, in good weather at two o'clock, in winter it is three, or later: he makes no stop but proceeds to New l>ort, where he arrives on Friday afternoon. ,,th.— Wrote to Mr Babcock, !)ep. at Westerly, whom I did not see in my way to this place, desiring him to sen.l his accounts up to the last quarter with the balance due, to the Comp'r. Finding it w..u'd be convenient to h.ive an hours conversation with the Western rider, I sat out for Saybrook, and arriv'd thereabout two o'clock, 1 t\u.na the road pretty good from the rope ferry, wherr I found old Herd ,hc Western rider waitinu Mumford's arrival : he h,ul been here three J8 JofRNAI. KEI'T hours— it is very uncustomary for the riders to he dctainM at this season, hut I conclude he finds it impoCsihle to pafs at the Rhode Island ferrys, from high contrary winds. This man Herd at 72 is strong and rohust, he has been in the service 46 years; he pretends that he makes nothing by it, and says "he will give it up— that at present he only rides for his "healths sake, which induces him to keep it." It is well known that he has made an estate by his riding, and it is said, in the following wav, Way letters he makes his own perquisite, or rather he has done so in former times, at present each office checks him a little-He does much businefs on the road on commifsion, he is a publick carrier, and loads his horse with merchandise for people living in his route; he receives cash and carry's mo.,ey backwards and forwards, takes care of return'd horses,' and in short refuses no businets however it mav affect his spee.l as Post' But for the delays occasioned bv his own alfa.rs, he might perform his rule m time, in any weather. -lis ridiculous to see his Majestvs courier metamorphosM to a snail paced Carrier. I le has the addrefs to be pund- ual in his arrivals at New York. Both Herd and Mumford have lost weeks at Say Brook and made the impofsibilitv of pafsing by reason of winds, ice, &c. an excuse for their delays, while at bottom la/inefs was th. real cause. By the sketch on the next page, is see, the route from Nc* London to Saybrook; the double lines mark the I'ost road-th« .ingle clotted line marks away from New London but ,«o .„■ three mile, about to a place on tonnedlKut River where the I'ost may always pufs. Now let them in winter constantly pafs ,h,s way or let them take the old road ,f they «,ll. When thev Hnd the winds too high or the pafsage ///'«//' iwm Xtw Lmdon hi Saifhitrnk )W Nw«*lM«.lxtWt*k«t" lllna^i 11 BY Hugh Finlay. 39 obstruded by ice let them agree on a signal to inform each other that they have gone up the river. By this means the detentions at Sayhrook will be avoided, and there will be no breaks in the Post riding. After questioning old Herd (who is not backward in sounding his own praises) on sundry matters, I asked him it he would lengthen his ride by proceeding to New London, but he peremptorily refuses to go farther than Sav Brook on any consideration. Crofs'd the ferry, it is well attended, about i of a mile in width, the boa's are good tho' not so large as those at Rhode Island. I proceeded 7 miles farther on, in a fine road md put up at a publick house where the Post always stAps, I intended to proceed with him at whatever hour he shou'd arrive. 1 2th. — The Post not come up, proceeded alone towards New Haven, pafsing thro' well settled Townships. Killingsworth is a pleasant village, a mile long : Kast and West CJuilford are large villages, as is Bamford likewise ; there must certr.inly pafs many letters to and from these towns, but the riders 1 believe make them a perquisite, as there's no offices in these places to check them. The road is very good. The ferry at New Haven, or rather two miles from it is about 100 yds wide and is pretty well attendeti ; from the ferry to the town the road was good. Many people ask'd me if I hid 1 ot met the Post driving some oxen; it seems he had agreed to bring some along with him. 40 Journal kept iVcK' //liven, Christopher KMy, Ihfun. This is a large flourishing Sea Port Town. Went to the Post-Otfice. •Jf^"- — Kxamined his books: questioned him and found that he under- stands his businefs thoroughly; hi l.iiticnrs that hi; cannot put the Afts of Parliament in force. He says that if everv vcfsel arriving at this port were to send her letters to thi office the income wou'd be doubled and the revenue increas'd in other parrs; bur when he sends to the Ship Mas- ters, they insult and threaten his mefsengers ; the Custom House officers tho' direded by Adl of Parliament to admit no vcfsel to entry without the Post Masters certificate, take no notice of the ad. He has remitted the last quarters accounts with the balance due thereon to the Comptroller. He complains much of the Post riders; he begs that the complaints may not appear to have come from him, because the riders being of service to the people on the road have many friends in the country as well as in town, and the name of informer (which his official representations would incur from his neighbours) wou'd hurt him in his businefs, but in conscience he looks on himself as obligated to represent the following matters : "That the ritiers come loaded with bundles, packages, boxes, canisters, "&c.— every pack.ige has a letter affixai to it, which the rider claims as "his own property aiui penpiisite ; nay sometimes a small bundle of chips, "straw or old paper accompanys a seal'd packet or large letter, and the "riders insist that such letters .ire exempted from postage." "The riders have told .Mr Kilby that the Devil might ride for them if "these way letters and packets vseie to he taken from them. in short, thev t\i Bv Hugh Finlay. 41 "come so loaded that it is impofsible for them to come in time. The ''load of news papers is so very great that the printers can afford a sum 'ot i;6o yearly for the bare carriage." "The Portmanteaus seldom come locked: the consequence is that the '■riders stuff them with bundles of shoes, stockings, canisters, money or any thing they get to carry, which tears the Portmanteaus, and rubs the "letters to pieces-this should be prevented by locking the mails " From the representation of Mr Kilbyand if it be true, that they ride off the road to deliver summons's and buy oxen on commifsion and drive them wh.le they have his Majesty's mails under their care, it is impofsible that they can be pundual in their arrivals. If their Bonds are renewed and the oath tendered to them again, and if they are commanded not to employ a rider who has not previously taken the oath, perhaps it wou'd make an imprefsion on them. Kvery rider shou'd be furnished with extrads from the several acts of Paniament and short set of instrudions deliver'd to him chat he n.„y never plead ignorance. If the rides were reduced to jo miles, the riders well paid and kept str,ftly to their duty, I am fully convinced that the mails wou'd be for- warded w.th speed, and the Revenue wou'd be greatly increased by this means, as no body wou'd chuse to risk a letter for a place at a distance wh.ch must unavoidably pafs thro' the hands of many different riders.' neither wou'd the riders chuse to take charge of it. Herd and Peat are concerned in the riding work-they both live at Strat- ford, miles to the Eastward of New York. They carry the mail week and week about. ; ! I t| ;? 42 Journal kept Herd takes it up from Peatc on his return home and proceeds with it to the office at Norwalk on Friday New York on Saturday Norwalk returning Tuesday New Haven on Wednesday Saybrook on Thursday Stratford where Peate takes it Friday 22 miles, 55 67 33 44 279 Peate takes the same Tour, and so alternately taking eight days to ride 279 miles, which is but J5 miles a day. They may pretend that they arc at great expence for horses ; it is only a pretence. An afs couM travel faster, they seldom or never change horses. They have excuses always ready framed when thev come in late— "their horses lost shoes"-" they were detained at ferrvs."-lt is their own busi- nefs alone which detains them. They have sometimes said that it was too hot to ride and at other times that it rain'd and they did not chusc to get wet. The lower Post shou'd arrive on Wednesday at ,2 o'clock, but it is often 3 and later; they are dispatch'd from the office immediately, yet they are seen ,n Town two hours afterwards transading businefs on commifsion; he returns or rather ought to return on Thursday evening about six, but it is very often later. The upper rider or he who goes by Springfield, Hartford &c. to Boston shou d arrive at this office fro„, New York on Saturday morning S o'clock ^ By Hugh Finlay. 4J but he makes ,t frequently .i or 12 ere he gets in. He returns from Hartford on Monday night at 7 o'clock. It is remarked that when the sons nde (Herd often employs his sons) they get in in time, they are young men and not so much employ'd in the commifsion businefs. Mr Kilby is oblig'd to attend the office on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and on Mondays, sometimes all the day and part v,f the night'. If the riders did but their duty it wou'd ease him much. His office does not neat him above .£,2 Str. t» annum. He begs to have some allowance in cons.deratmn of his great trouble and close attendance. He keeps his office in a small corner of a very small shop. While I was in the office the rider for Hartford arriv'd, it was i , o'clock. His Portmanteau was not lock'd, it was stuff'd with bundles of different k>nds, and crammed with news papers: the letters for the different stages were not put up in bags, the rider had saddle bags quite full besides, so that his horse (a poor looking beast) was loaded too much to make the necefsary speed. After settling with Mr Kilby, and instrufting him in his duty relative to checking the riders, I left New Haven and procee4ed 21 miles' to Fairfield. The road is stoney in some places, but a good road on horseback. The High Sherrif for the county waited on me, and represented that an office is much wanted in this Town to hinder the impositions of the Post riders. He informs me Herd not long since deliver'd to him a letter from New York mark'd in red ink 2, which he did understand to be 2 dwt. or 6d. Str., but the rider wou'd not deliver it to him, unless he wou'd pay K^ AA Journal kept him two shillings lawful money equal to J of a Spanish milled dollar, which he was oblig'd to do knowing the letter to be of consequence— he show'd me the office mark, it was a single letter mark'd 2 dwt.-he further says that this is an ordinary praftice with the post riders, and it has more than once happened to him. A letter was delivered to the rider at New York as it was too late to go in the mail ; he brought it here, but wou'd not deliver it without receiving js. for it tho' but single. He seems afsured that an office here wou'd benefit the Revenue, as there's numbers of letters for this place in a )x:v:, and as this is the best settled county in Connedicut, he thinks it wou'd help its trade and be of particular advantage to the people of the Town especially when the court sits here. If the Post Master General shall see it proper to establish an office here, Mr Burr would recommend the care of it to Mr Elijah Abel, for whose good conduft he will become bound. He says that Andrew (old Herds son) is a c^ircful man, but Kbenezer (another son) exafts and is carelefs. Rested here all Sunday, next day, the 15th, proceeded 12 miles in broken stoncy road to Norwttlk. Mr Beldin^, Post Master. Examined his books and found thtrn in order, he keeps his office in a small apartment lock'd up. He has not remitted his last quarters accounts ; he said he wou'd do it very soon and remit the balance of about .I'j- lawful. The yearly amount of Postage here does not exceed £iQ. BY Hugh Finlav. 45 %■ The rider for the Lower stage arrives here from New York on Tuesday at one o'clock and returns from the Eastward on P'riday evening at 6 o'clock. The upper rider to Hartford arrives from ^Tew York on Friday at one o'clock ami returns from Hartford on Tuesday ali^>;'- six o'clock in the evening but this is only when the roads arc good : in winter the riders are very irregular. On taking notice to Mr Belding that there is no way letters enter'd in his books, he reniark'd that the riders undoubtedly pocketed the money collefted for way letters, of which there comes many as he says, within his delivery. The riders sometimes inadvertently put letters into the office which they wish to conceal, not a great while since there was one put into the office by the rider mark'd Postage paid. Mr Belding demanded the money of him for that letter, but he obstinately refus'd to pay it, insisting that all letters he cou'd pick up between any two offices were of right his perquisite. As a proof that the couriers conceal large sums from the office which are raised from way litters, Mr Beldings information is sufficient. Before he had charge of the office the riders used to leave many letters under his care, fc-r which he collefted the money, and he accounted with them weekly, but since he has been appointed Post Ma 'er they do not shew him one single letter; yet he knows that they briiiu; many everv trip and leave m:iny beiiind them with a friend who collefts the money for them in their absence. In short, 1 find that it is the constant praftice of all the riders between New York and Boston to defraud the Revenue as much as they can in pocketing the postagi of all way letters. Kvery Deputy Post Master complains against them for this practice, and for their shameful tardinefs; r 4<5 Journal kept i II I I likewise of the barefaced custom of making pack beasts of the horses which carry His Majesty's Mails. Every Post Master making complaint, or giving official information, begs that his name may never be mention'd as having made any of those representations. 17th.— Left Norwalk and proceeded 41 miles to Kingsbridge in good road, and next morning rode 15 miles in very fine road, and arrived at jX("m Ivrk, Where the General Post Office is kept under the care of John Antill acting for Alexander Colden Ksq., the Deputy Post Master. I remain'd at New York untill I had Mr Koxcroft's permifsion to pro- ceed, which was not before the fith of December; as he was in davlv ex- pedation of the arrival of the Odober Packet from Kngland, he was un- willing that I shou'd leave New York before she came in, because he look'd for instrudions for the Surveyor by her, from which he intended to model a set of Instruftions for me. In the mean time I was employed in visiting Mr Colden, and learning Mr I'oxcrofts opinions concerning, and plans and intentions for the better regulation of all matters relative to the Post office, imprefsiPg them on my memory that in the course of my survey I n,ight appiv that i.strudion to the benefit of the office as circumstances might point out. The books in this office are regularly kept, and the quarterlv accounts regularly delivered to the comptroller. Great dispatch is given to the different riders, who are, pundually sent oft at the stated hours. BY Hugh Finlav. 47 Soon after the arrival of a mail the letters are quickly deliv'd by a runner always in time for answers to he return'd in course; this regulation gives much satisfadlion to the publick. There's some matters respecting the management of this office, and atten- dance given, which Mr Foxcroft finds great f'ult with. As he is on the spot, he will check the acting Post Master and his clerk, and put every thing on a proper footing, I therefore make no mention further of the New York office, only to note the dayly businefs there 'Jone, and to add a remark or two of Mr Antills. F w 3| If !' 48 PO JoiRNAI. KEPT ST ]).■/ )\\' „t X !:ir roA> A. MONDAY. ll'ESDAV. WEDNESOAV, A mail from I'hilad* arrives at 8 and goes out at 10 in the morn- ing, very regularlv. At I : the Boston Post by way of New Haven New London, Rhode Island and Providence is dispatched. I'his is ; called the lower road. The Quebec Post by Ihe Boston Mail In way V ay ot" Albany arrives of Hartford called the upper at 4 o'clock I'. M.; he road, is irregular in his ..rriv- is very regular. als for reasons afsign'd in this Journal underthe Boston head, but in common he ar- rives between 5 in the even- ing aii.i 10 at night. The .Mbain Post which carrys the C'im.idian .Mails is sent of at 1 1 A. M. A niaii arrives from I'hiladclphia at 10 and the Post returns at 12. I'he I'acket Mail is maileup and liispalJieil from this office the first Wednes day of every month at 1 z o'clock at night. THl Rsi)A^ . The i'ost for Hosfon by \ew Haven, }lart ford and Springfield, called the upper ra-.id is sent off at noon. n ^^ . The Post from Phil - X I 1 HI)A\-, A Post from Boston b\ the arrives at 1 1 o'clock A lower road arrives Ihivv, en 5 M. and returns at one ami 10 at night, sometimes "'■"^''- it is -Siuulay, for reasons af sign'd underthe Boston head. K f-^^m^, BY Hugh Kinlav. 49 Mr Antill wishes that the letters sent from Kngland by the Packet cou'd be sorted in I.oiuion, each city its different bundle viz. N. York, Phil» , Boston, yuelK-. Montreal, &c. ; his reason for mentioning this wish is, that it often Joes happen that there is not time to afsort them before the departure; of the c::r.rent riders or at least of some of them, bv which means they lie in the office untill next post day which makes eight days difference to Canada for instance when the Packets arrive on Wednesday forenoon. He further says, that instead of charging this office (which tho' called the Gen.ral Office, is to ail intents and purposes managed and conducted as are i! the other offices, and in like manner, accountable once in every iiuarter to the Comptroller) with the letters from Kngiand, the Comptroller shou'd be made accountable tor them, and he shou'd charge each office with the l-'.nglish bills. I remark that there's .i column in every dcputys accounts for mifsent .-md forwarded letters. Mr Antill can easily take credit for all the letters charged to his office, which h< forwards to other offices as heretofore. 29th.— The Odober packet boat, Duke of Cumberland, Capt. Mitchell arriv'd at Nev York. Thtiicame no Instru«ions for a Surveyor; there- fore Mr I'OxcroCt coiuiu.lfd, that it would be best for me to proceed im- mediately to Charles Town in .South Carolina, there to take orders and dirertions from Mr. Kmipell the Dcp. (i.ii. for the Southern district and to make my Survey there beginning at the Southern extremity, and so proceed regularly Northward, as perhaps by the time i reach Suffolk in Virginia, the most southern Post Town in the norfJwrn district, Instrud ions iiKiy arrive from !• ngland wherebv Mr Ki»x. r<»fr will he enabled to 5° Joi'RNAI. KEPT give me more ample and clear direetions than he can at present do and he will have them waiting my arrival at Suffolk. This arrangement being made, it only remains to write to Kngland by the Packet which will sail on Thursday the :d of Deer., advising the I'ost Master General of my intended route which Mr Koxcroft designs to do. 6th December.— 1 left New York in company with Mr Koxcroft for Philadelphia referring the survey of the offices this wav until my return from Carolina. 8th.— Got to Philadelphia. Just look'd superficially over matters i i the otf.ce there, the books were neat clean and in proper form and ord< r, every thing in and about the office had the air of regularity and care. 9th.— At four o'clock afternoon I embark'd in a vessel bound to Chrries Town in South Carolina where I arriv'd the 14th at noon; the distance run is 750 m.les ; we had fair winds and weather remarkable fine and warm. 1 BY Hugh Finlay. SI SOUTHERN DISTRICT. CHARLES TOirN IN SO: CAROLINA. December the 14th 177J. — Immediately on my arrival I went to Mr Roupell's house, he was not at home, I left Mr Foxcrofts letter of intro- durtion at his house, and afterwards vent to the Post-Office, which is kept by the Secretary in a room in the most frequented coffee house in the most publick part of the Town ; there I left my name, my businefs and a direc- tion to my lodging in case Mr Roupell should have immediate commands for me. 15th. — Waited on Mr Roupell in the morning to inform him that I was ready to receive and obey his orders. From the 1 5th December to the ist January following at times employed in examining into former transactions in this Ciencral Office, previous to Mr. Roupells appointment, and found the Books, accounts, papers and every thing relative to the former management in the greatest confusion, so as to render it impofsibic from them, to learn the true state of the offices in this district. I found that Mr Roupell had been at a great deal of pains to gather knowledge of matters in his Distrirt; he gave me all lights that he had been able to colleCl, and nothing further with respiCt to thi; debts due by S3 Journal kfpt the ditfereiu dcputys couki be known, until things were compareii with his sketch, at the difFercnt offices. We plan'd new regulations and proposed ]iroper t'ornis which perhaps may be necelsarv hereafter to follow ; and thus having settled matters with Mr Roupell I left Charles Town (after receiving written directions, on the 1st of January, accompanied by the contrader for the riding north to Wilmington, a ride of 180 miles; Mr Roupell reported him to be a careful diligent i.ian; we therefor concluded that it woulii be for the good of the ser\ice to hire him as a guitle, that we might be able to judge ot his ability to undertake the ride between Charles Town and Savannah, and both partys having examined the road, a contrail might immediately be enter'd into on such reasonable terms as the nature of tlu- route wou'd admit. We left the Town 'm the morninij. 1 was in a Solo chair. Wills the guide was on horseback, leading a horse to relieve the chair horse, for in this country no single horse that one can hire is able to perform such a Journey. In this Province Travelling is most extravagantly expensive. I'Vom Charles 'I'own to Ashley ferry is 10 miles in a wry ievel roail, hut wc wade thro' a deep heavy sand very fatiguing to horses; this ferrv is well attended ; their flats or skows as they are called, are good, and drawn over the river aliouf jo yanis wide, by a rope. The weather was very warm, we chang' 1 our horses and proceedeil six miles to Rantoal bridge, the roads still sandy and heavy tho' not so deep ; here and there we got a peep of a plantation thro' the dull pine trees that shade the ri -d. In the cleared places the surface is scantily cover'd wi'h rank ruAct v .eds. We see no verdant fields as to the Northivard, nothing but I'ine, Sand, and Bv Hugh Finlay. S3 Swamp, the branches of the trees are over hung with grey thready moss rescmliling the shaggy hair of a he goat. Out of the horses gave out here ; we proceeded after dinner with the first horse i8 miles in a road not so heavy as that we have pafsed; this horse also requir'd a constant whip, it wou'd require four such beasts to make common speed on this road — the horses of this country are starv'd, weak, lean, small brutes. There's hardly a pofsibility of getting forward without one's own horses, but on these roads they run a risk of being starved, for there's nothing to be had, but the leaves of Indian corn dried instead ot hay, and in lieu of oats they give them Indian corn which founders a Northward horse. It is a shocking country to travel in, both for man and beast. .Slept at Fonpon, a small village 34 miles from Charles Town; there's a tollerable Tavern here. -d. — Proceeded 7 miles to Acheepoo bridge over a small River, 16 miles farther we halted to dine; the road is good, in a streight line cut thro' pine woods, now and then we see a swamp, consequently a rice plantation these situations are very unhealthy ; we came sometimes to avenues leading from the high road terminated by farm houses at a quarter, half and some- times three quarters of a mile distant. After dinner we rode on, but at the end of four miles our horses were so tired, that we were obliged to re- main here, the place is called I'ocotalago ; it rained all day ; thick stinking fogs hung o'er every swamp. We could not find a horse here to hire, or for sale. ;jd. — Next morning proceeded 5 miles to Coosawhatchay river over which was once a bridge which is now broken down ; they keep a very bad Jol'RNAl. KEI'T Skew here, very ill attended ; frun, hence we went on nine miles to a poor hut without windows eallui a Tavern, and could go no tarther. our horses beinK quite knocked up. • . .1, • -I-l- weather was rainy, raw and dull, the road was good and stre.ght thro pine barren, gloonu- and unpleasingly unih.rn,. The promise c,, extrava^ gant pavHK-nt cou'd not procure a horse for hire; 1 was obl.ged to buy a small creature, the best of half a do/en for £5 Str. We put up at this miserable hut and there remainM untd next day, that we set out early in the morning very dark and in heavy rauu .,,_NVith mv new purchase in the chair, and leading the fatigued horse wc rode .(, miles to I'urvsburg. wet to the skin, the rain had soak d thro „u- portmanteau. The ro..d .s very stre.ght. son.e parts of U .s clayey, but few farms in the way. Purvsburg is a strat-Ung village on the River of Savannah about .58 n„les from its n^outh, it wis orginally settled by French protestants. they nuke silk here but in verv small quantitys. We renK.in'd here three hours to dry ..urselves. ana then en>bark d .n a wooden canoe rowed bv three Negroes, and in about four hours and a halt .ot down with the tide to Savannah, the distance is 24 m.lc. The water of the river is verv thick, its shore is a stinking m«tf; the land on each side is low and swan,py. Halfway down we see plantations, the farm houses are built on the rivers side on hills of sand called bluffs, some are budt n, low situations, and are surrounded when the River overflows. 1 he tuie f1,,ws within (\ miles of I'urvslnirg. 1 sent Mr Roupelis letter immediately to Mr Thomson the Deputy; he waited on me, and we chatted on office businefs. I I BY Hugh Finlay. 55 He declines keeping the office any longer in his own name, but he will superintend it, and find a person qualified to take charge of it, and he wishes for the interest of the office to preserve an authority over him. Mr Thomson reports that many people of whom better things might be expeded, rather than send their letters in the Mail, will send for the rider and make a private bargain with him to carry their dispatches; the riders are but too apt to secret letters for their own emolument. One Mackenfufs rides between Charles Town and St. Augustine in East Florida; after the arrival of the Packet boats in Charles Town, he sets out with the Mail for Savannah, Sunbury and St. Augustine and returns. This trip he takes twelve times in the year. On one of those trips he fell sick and employed a man to ride for him, this man came to office drunk, he delivcr'd about 50 loose letters to Mr Thomson. Next day he return'd to the office and demanded the letters as his own perquisite, saying that it had been the former praftice and that he had been instruded to follow it. Thus was Makenfufs charg'd with an unwarrantable praftice, but when he was question'd on this matter he denied that he had ever taken any money in this way. This points out the necefsity of obliging the riders and their servants to take thf oaths and to give bond, and to furnish them with printed abstracts from the ads touching their duty. The Cientlemen in Sunbury have often earnestly applied for a Post be- tween their Town and Savannah, Sunbury is a thriving place, Trade en- creases there rapidly ; they labour under many disadvantages for want of a speedy way of conveying letters to and from their Town. It is thought that if there was a weekly post establish'-! between Charles Town and Savannah the Postages wou'd far exceed the cxpence of the rid- ing work. |i< Ii? I 56 Journal kept By vefsels from diftcrent parts of England to Charles Town, many let- ters are scut for people in Savannah, Simberry and St. Augustine, these go to the care of sonic persons in Charles Town, who forward them by the first coaster oifcring; no man in these parts wou'd think of forwarding a letter by water if there was an opportunity by land. Now if a weekly post were here established, it wou'd be proper to ad- vertise it in the London Papers for sometime, and in the Carolina, Georgia and Florida coffee houses, to make the publick and especiallv the London Merchants trading to these parts acquainted with the dispatch with which their letters can be conveyei.1 from Charles Town to all parts Southward. It may be here observed. That the present aft obliging \Lasters of Vefsels to carry their letters to the Post office is of no effeft in America, they have no inclination to pay obedience to any revenue atl, and at pres- ent they say that if they are obliged to put letters into the Post office they must pay for th.em before they can get them out ayain, anti this is one mode ot taking money t'rom them without their consent, therefor they will pay as little regard to that law as is pofsible to be done, and it can easily be evaded, since the Master has only to say : )-.very letter that 1 have on board concerns my cargo, and therefore I shall not deliver one of them at the Post office. h the \Listcr of every vefsci were obliged immediately on his arrival to go to the Post office and there make o.ith,— " Ihat the letters now deliver'd "are all the letters, which came in his vefsel, whether committed to his "care or the cire of any person on board, to the best of his belief and " knowledge, excepting such as he knows to concern the cargo,"— the Re\enue would encrease ama/ingly. Bv Hugh Finlay. 57 It is further to be observed that very few colledlors observe to require the Post Master's certificate ere he admit the vefsel to an entry. If the present adl cannot be amended a stridl order from the Treasury to the Commifsionvrs of the Customs in Americ? to ifsue their commands to all Colleftors for this purpose, will be of service. To return to the Sunbury people they propose to raise money by sub- scription towards paying a rider between that place and Savannah, indeed 13 Gentlemen have already subscribed £20 Str. for this purpose. The 5th went with Mr Thomson to the Post-Office where I found every thing in the best order, he is an excellent officer and has the encrease of the Revenue at heart. Vl'e whole amount of the postage received at his Office is £ 75 Str. conse- quently at 20 ^ ct. his salary will amount to jiif. Nota. — There's no inland postage charged by Mr Thomson on the let- ters which he receives here to go by the Packet from Charles Town to Kalmouth and by the Post Master's bill I perceived that there never has been any inland postage charg'd from Charles Town to this place ; and I am apt to thin'ic that none has ever been charged to and from St. Augustine. On my return to Charles Town this matter shall be enquir'd into. The late Mr Stevens Sec'y to Mr Delancy sent a form to Mr Thomson by which to keep his accounts ; by it he was directed to take a commifsion on all letters pafsing through his office, he perceived that it was an error, and therefor never charged commifsion excepting on the moneys received by him for Postage. Mr Thomson is colledor of the Port of Savannah, and obliges all Cap- tains to bring their letters to him before he will admit them to an entry, '^ i i S8 Journal kept hut he complains that under the pretence of letters helonging to tlie cargo, not one half is ever deliver'd at the office. Waited on Governor Wright. His Excellency urges the necefsity of a Post between this place and Charles Town ; he is persuaded that it will encrease the Revenue, and he promises to do every thing in his power to promote its intrests. Demanded a settlement of Dr Fraser's accounts ; he was a deputy in Mr Delancv's time, but as I before observed the Books of the General Office, were not kept regularly, and his debt cou'd not be ascertained from them. He says he cannot settle with me because his children and negroes in his absence from home got into his office and destroy'd his Papers, but as soon as Mr Roupell will send him an account of the debt, he will pay it. He believes it is about Xi-j Str. this he said before me and in presence of Mr Thompson. The Kings Attorney was in the Country but Mr Thompson will wait on him at his return and demand the sum recovered by him from one Whitefield, a former D. Post Mr, and when he receives it he will remit it to Mr Roupell. 1 saw many of the principal people in Town ; thev all prefs hard to have a weekly post established between this place and Charles Town. They say, that from their Commercial connexions they are fullv persuaiied that there will pafs more letters between the two places than will pav the ex- pence of riding. Whenever a regular and speedy convevance by land is established correspondence will much encrease. As the Post from the Northward arrives at Charles Town on Saturday evening, the route and the Post days may be as follows, then Sunbury will be included. 1 Bv Hugh Finlay. 59 Let the mail for Savannah be made up at the General Post-office on Saturday night and leave Charles Town on Sunday at day break, and arrive at Savannah on Tuesday, and from thence let the Post for Sunbury set out an hour after, and arrive there on the next morning, Wednesday. Let him remain there but a few hours and return and be in Savannah on Thursday morning; The Mail for Charles Town may be dispatched at midday, and arrive there on Saturday. I'he present expence of a monthly rider. Mackenfufs has £\6'f Trip from Charles Town to St. Augustine via Savannah; say that he makes 12 Journeys in the year, it will cost A rider from Charles Town to Savan- nah to ride once a week may cost From Savannah to Sunbury The letters for St. Augustine, will be ' forwarded by exprefs from Sun- bury and may perhaps cost X.'i "f* Trip. Say 12 trips in a year - £lq2 jCioo 40 96 2j6 Encrease of Expense - £44 to establish a weekly Post which will do more than pay the expense im- mediately. ,%- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) m m.z {/ / ^ M^ .<<' '% Hmtographic Sciaices Corporation as vmr main sTiniT WHSTH.N.Y. )4SM (7U) •73-4::3 4? ... W i 6o Journal kept 6th.— After a conversation with Mr Thompson on office affairs, I took my leave and went with the tide up to Purysburg where my horses were left. Bouche, who iceeps Tavern here wou'd be a proper person to take charge of an office in this place if it shall be fouad necefsary to have a house of receipt and delivery in Purysburg. Rode 1 6 miles to a miserable hut, called a Tavern and there put up; the roads are generally deep in theii .auseways which lead through swamps, after .ain ; the other parts of the roads are generally good, I mean between Charles Town and Savannah, except near the capital they are heavy and srndy, all the bridges are in bad repair. A strangtr conceives a disadvan- tageous idea of the internal Police of this rich Province from the ruinous state of these publitk matters. It seems that the present difference subsisting between the Governor and the house of afsembly has put a stop to all Publick businefs. The house voted and aftually did remit ,£1500 of the publick money for the use of Mr Wilkes without the Governors consent, or without asking leave, until this money is repaid back to th.- Treasury, the Gov'r will pafs no Law. Thus all publick order is at a stand. ■7th. — Set off early in the morning, and rode 9 miles to the ferry ot Coosawhatchay, there we found the Skow aground, we were obliged to hire four negroes to floa*' it. Vhe country back of Pocotolago is pretty well settled 'tis said, one Vanbibbcr lives here on the side of the road, he keeps Tavern, his house wou'd be a proper place for the rider to leave letters at, ana to take up letters there left to be forwarded. VI '1 11 BY Hugh Finlav. 6i Proceeded 19, some say 22, miles; the road is clayey in some parts, and always muddy after rain, from Acheepoo we -ode 7 miles to Ponpon, where I spoke with Mr McKenzie one of the principal merchants in this village, his opinion is that but few letters wou'd pafs by post to or from this place as there's dayly oportunities for Town ; yet in case it may be found proper to have an office here, he would recommend a Mr Wallace or a Mr Herbertson to take charge of it. 8th.- -Left Ponpon in snow, hail, sleet and rain alternately, excefsively cold, to Ashl:y ferry, 24 miles and from the ferry to town 10 miles, where I arrived in the evening. I observe that there's many crofsroads in the way between Charles Town and Savannah and no dirc^ions set up to guide a sttanger, it is impofsi- ble that he should keep the road he wishes to follow. The road on the whole may be called good, it is heavy in some parts, the bridges arc in bad repair, there's three ferry's in the way, -Ashley, Coo- sawhatchay and the Savannah River. 9th, 10th, nth.— Reniain'd in Charles Town consulting with Mr Roupell, and prepaiii.g for the Survey of the offices to the Northward. 1 2th. — Received my despatches from Mr Roupell in the afternoon, found the boat which was to carry me o\ cr or rather up Coupar River was aground, so that I was dctaMi'd until! morning. 13th. — Mr Wills th.; Contrador for this ride to Wilmington agreed to accompany me, that we might view the road and learn his riders condurt, and common mode of proceeding. i 62 Journal kept We proceeded to Hobcau 4 n.iles in a boat, and on horseback 17 miles before dinner, and zjJ after dinner to Santee ferry — the road very good, but sandy in a few places. The taverns are inconceivably bad. To travel with comfort through this part of the world, a stranger shou'd be furnished with letters of recommendation to the Gentlemen and Plant- ers living on the road, but to a man who has businefs to mind this method of travelling wou'd be attended with inconvenience for the hospitable Americans kill you with kindnefs, and detain you from pursuing your journey, and one woul'd be obliged sometimes to ride 6 or 8 miles out of the road to get to the gentlemen's seat, at which you intend to lodge. 14th. — Crofs'd Santee River about :oo yards broad in a good skow, we found a most shocking bad piece of road, from the river's side a mile and a quarter through a swamp, called Lynch's causeway. It is a tia<;t of boggy land, the road thro' it is made of logs of wood laid crossways, and cover'd over with the mud of this bog; after rain it is a mere puddle. The horses sunk between the logs up to the IkIH". The rider with great reason complnins much of this causeway, as it is next to impafsable some- times, and in the best of weather he runs a risk of breaking his horses legs and his own neck. Nothing can be done in a publick way until the affair of the grant to Wilkes is settled. At the end of the bad causeway there's another ferry of about 100 yards wide, well attcndeii. 1 1 } miles farther is Sampit ferry opposite to (ieorgc Town very ill attended; it is private property. The rider says tha;: he is detain'd here six hours sometimes. We got over to Cieorgc Town with some difficulty. This is a thriving place, vefsels drawing ij foot w.iter can load Bv Hugh Finlay. 63 here. The Town is 1 8 mile from the sea, its trade encreases and conse- quently its correspondence. There has been no deputy here since Mr Tyghe died in Oftober. I examined a book which was shown me as the only book he had ever kept, but there was nothing in it but a few memorandums of debts due by the towns people for postages— mere triffles. I found Post Masters bills from Charles Town but none from any other place. The debt due by him must be colledted from the books at Charles Town and at Wilming- ton. There's no check for way letters received by him. Since his death the mail has been generally dcliver'd at the Tavern, and the Tavern keeper accounted to order from Charles Town. The people in town two months ago strongly recommended one James Robertson to be deputy, to whom Mr Roupell sent a commifsion and instruftions by me ; which I w.is direded to leave with Dodlor Gibb to be deliver'd on Robertson's taking the oath and giving bond. I went to Robertsons and gave him some direftions, and shew'd him how to keep his accounts. There never has yet been more than £^ ^ ann. received in this place, but it will certainly encrease. After having instructed Mr Robertson and deliver'd the first mail to him, I left (Jeorge Town and embark'd with our horses in a flat, and went down the River Sampit half a mile to its mouth where Fedie, Waco- man and Black River join and form a bay 2J mile acrofs. When the wind blows but a little it is impafsable for flats, and there's no ferry boat for horses kept here, at this ferry the Post runs many risks, and he is often detain'd by winds. When we got to the other side the sun was not an hour high, and we had 14 miles to ride thro' the wo .ds in a very crooked 64 Journal kept path. We lost our way and found ourselves on the sea shore. We came to an indigo plantation where there was nothing for our horses ; they told us that we were three miles from a tavern ; they gave us a negroe to conduft us in the dark, when we got there w. were told from within to go about our businefs, they kept no publick house, nor had they anything for our horses. It was ten o'clock, quite dark, our horses were fatigued, we were tir'd, and on being told that it was 14 miles to the next house, we beg'd we entreated we prayed to be let in. At Inst the door was open'd by an old, infirm, walking skeleton, there was no soul in the house beside but his cripple wife. The old man was prevail'd on, by the promise of an exorbitant price to spare us some corn and corn blades for our horses, and we enclos'd them in a field of sand. There was no bread in the house and nothing but bad water to drink- he had no bed— I pafs'd the night in a chair, often looking out for day. 15th.— Set out before sunrise, and at the end of 17 miles saw some plantations, we rode thro' heavy white sand, the road runs parallel with Wacoman River, and is never more than two miles distant from it. On all rivers there's a stripe of swamp pretty well settled in common, but the pine woods intercept one's view and lender the road dreary indeed. We stop'd at a farm house where we were very politely receiv'd, and they gave us the best they had. They made their cakes of Indian moal and roasted them before the fire. Tliey never eat wheaten bread. We proceeded a few perches to the sea side, here we found it half ebb, a firm hard beach, it is called Long bay, which appears not to be a bay In.i a streight strand of 14I miles in length; it can be pafsed only at ebbing Bv Hugh Finlav. 65 tide, you have the Atlantic on the right, and great hillocks of loose sand on the left. At the end of the 14! mile we struck of to the left, at an inlet to the sea, which at high water makes a large pond behind the sand hills ; these inlets are called Swashes in these countrys. Leaving the beach we ride thro' pine woods 3 J miles to the first house, here we got a dinner by way of favour and paid well for it. The man keeps no tavern, but he takes money for his victuals and toddy; at such houses a parcel of ragged children and dirty servants are set down at table with every traveller. Proceeded 7 miles farther and were well receiv'd by an hospitable planter, and with him we remain'd the night. 1 6th. — Left our hearty Planter, and rode 4* miles thro' heavy sand to a house called the Boundary house, because the line dividing South from North Carolina runs thro' the middle of it, one half of the hall is in one Province and the other half in another. From this house we continued ourjoutney in a road thro' a pine barren, the stumps of trees are covered with rank wither'd grafs, which makes riding danr^erous ; Wills at the end of 14 miles was taken with a fit of fever and ague, I was obliged to stop for him at a log hut called a Tavern. In a few hours his fit went off, and we proceeded 8i miles to Lockwood's folly, and remained there all night. Half a mile from the log Tavern, there's a swamp without any cause- way, after rain it is very dangerous, the rider is often stop'd here ; the road is bad farther. Thus far there seems that no care is taken of the roads in this Province. 66 Journal kept 17th. — Good road 5 miles to a small log house; near it there's two bad bridges, and a little farther there's a very bad bridge over a run of water, and a very long bad causeway after it. From the last log house we rode 9 miles and then the road turns short off to the right leading direftly to Brunswick. We proceeded streight forward thro' deep sand to a saw mill 7 miles and from thence to a Tavern two miles from Wilmington, is 14 miles farther in a deep sandy ro.-id, without a single hut, and we met but one traveller all this day. From this Tavern we see the town of Wilming- ton at the end of an avenue cut through an island, two miles across ; this island is in Cape Fear River, and lyes in the manner here described : The island is a swamp, the road is laid with logs of trees, many of them are decay 'd, so that the causeway is quite broken and full of large holes, in many places 'tis with difficulty that one can pafs it on foot, with a horse 'tis just pofsible. This public avenue to the most flourishing town in the Province, will induce a stranger to believe, that the people in this country have no Laws, such is the report concerning North Carolina. This bad swamji detains the Post. I pafsed the first ferry in a small leaky flat, the second in a large one but very wet. BY Hugh Finlay. 67 Went to the Tavern, and while I sat there, the Post -ider deliver'd a parcel of newspapers to a person in the room, demanding as. for his trouble, the man to whom it was deliver'd open'd it and took a letter out of it; on seeing this I reprimanded the rider in presence of a good many, and forbid him to take any money for the carriage of the bundle — telling him at the same time that he had err'd thro' ignorance, but that I shou'd take care that the printer shou'd not defraud the office a second time, for that he shou'd never be permitted again to send a newspaper by any of His Majestys riders. Took a lodging in Wilmington, Mr Hooper the deputy waited on me. On the whole, the road from Charles Town to Wilmington is certainly the most tedious and disagreeable of any on the Continent of North America, it is through a poor, sandy, barren, gloomy country without accomodations for travellers. Death is painted in the countenances of those you meet, that indeed happens but seldom on the road. Neither man nor beast can stand a long journey thro' so bad a country where there's much fatigue and no refreshment; what must it be in their violent heats, when I found it so bad in the month of January! When the Post comes to be well regulated there must be at least four changes of h'irses to carry on things with the necefsary despatch on this road. Riding in the Southern Provinces must always be attended with much more expense than in the Northern. The difference in the price of horses is a great objcft, and then provender to the Southward is bad, scarce and dear, and the unhealthinefs of the climate, soon wears out the best constitutions when exposed to the sun in the day, and the night dews. jKth. — Wrote to Mr Roupell and inform'd him of some things touch- .Ti It I 68 Journal kept .ng Post office affairs, and recommending Wills (from his care and anxiety to perform his contradV) for the Southern ride to Savannah. Wrote to Mr Robertson of George Town with further direftions concerning his office. ^ The rider between this place and Newbern represented to me this day that he cannot continue in the service unless his wages are augnKnted. I told h.m that I should give him an answer after I had consulted with Mr Hooper and had exaniin'd the road. .9th— Employ'd in reading over a correspondence between Mr Hooper and Mr Roupell concerning sundry matters to be settled here and at JNewbern. .oth.-At the Post office. In consequence of the insight obtain'd fron, he above correspondence, and Mr Hoopers explanation of matters, I got a perfed knowledge of an affair that is to be settled with Mr Davis at Newbern ; he contrafted w.th the Post-office to forward the mails between A.lm.ngto„and Newbern; he gave it upon the,.st of August, ,7,, as aPP-s by h.s letter to Mr Hooper of that date, after which time I,; H. d.d aaual y enter uuo contrad with one named Shepherd, who has cont,nued m the serv.ce ever since. Davis claims payment for the riding work .n consequence of his agreement with Mr Delancy, altho' he ,2 up h. ,-ontraa .n August. ,;.,,and has not employ'd any rider sLe except for one month. ' ^ Mr Davis is debtor to the General Post office for the monies he reccved durmg the t,n,e he aded as Deputy at Newbern ; he never trans! ■•^smm IMi—i By Hugh Finlay. 69 niitted any account, it is my businefs to bring him to a settlement, I have for that end desir'd Mr Hooper the deputy here to give me an extraft from his booics of all the letters forwarded by him to the office at New- bcrn, during the time Mr Davis aded. 20th. — The Rider shou'd come through Brunswick in his way from Charles Town to this place; it is the port of entry for this town 15 miles nearer the sea. It will make the way longer, but being a trading town, and the only port of entry for all places on Cape Fear River, there shou'd certainly be a Post-office there were it only to receive the ship letters for Wilmington and the places adjacent. Many letters come into this Port for Newbern, Edenton and all parts of the Province; the Masters of vefsels throw 'em perhaps carelefsly into a Tavern, there being no Post office to take thei.i in; the complaints against this praftice are loud for many letters are thus lost. The Merch- ants therefor Pray to have an office established at Brunswick, that all ship letteis may be put on shore there that they may be certain of receiving them. There is a growing place a hundred miles above this "^'own, called Crofs Creek; there's much commercial connexion between the Merchants here, and those settled there, they therefor wish for a weeklv Post between the Two Towns of Wilmington and Crofs Creek. It is impofsible to do anything to Purpose towards establishing a regular Post in the Southern distridt, on an advantageous footing to the Revenue, until the mails are conveyed weekly without stops or delays all through Virginia, and so South along thro" North Carolina all the way to Charles Town. At present it is long before an answer can be had between Charles Town -^11 70 Journal kept and New York (they siy it requires ten weeks) that no body in either of these two places thinks of writing by Post; so that in short the Post in the Southern distrirt is of no benefit to Revenue and but of very little use to the Publick in its present state, but would be of infinite utility if it were once so regulated as to convey letters from New York to Charles Town in ,6, .8 or 28 days. This may be done, then woul'd answers be had m five or six weeks, and correspondence by Post wou'd be preferred to precarious conveyances by water. I found that it is a confirmed opinion at Charles Town, that letters sen by I ost are seldom deli ver'd owing to some mismanagement at the Junction of the Northern and Southern distriets ; but it is not publickly known, that there s a Post for the Northward every fortnight. Mr Hooper wrote letters to Boston and sent them by Post, on purpose to see .f the report was well founded ; he says they never got to hand No Post office plan can be properly carried on in this part of the world without men versed in businefs with a certain share of the esteem of the people wdl take ,t in hand, and very few will take the trouble without an equivalent for their pains. Every Deputy shou'd have an office, for when tne publick sees letters thrown carelefsly about in an open room or store, for every comer to handle -t IS natural to conclude and it is accordingly concluded that letters are not safe under a deputy's care. When I spoke to the deputy's about this ir- regularity, t..., one and all said, we have much trouble with the post we cannot set apart an office, we receive the letters into our houses t' oblige the I ubhck, and as for the C.mmifsion it is such a trifle it is not worfh accepting, we cannot negled our affairs to give more attention to this V0 BY Hugh Finlay. 7> matter. The publick good is the sole inducement for taking so much trouble as we do. I think that if a small allowance were made io each deputy in this distrift, proportion'd to his Trouble, that it wou'd be for the benefit of the Revenue. I would allow from £<■ to £20 Str. %» ann. to the Deputys and oblige them to have a place in their houses or stores, set apart as an office, to which no person shou'd have accefs but such as may have taken the oaths of a Post officer. I would have a weekly Post from Town to Town and as soon as a regular and speedy conveyance is properly fix'd from New York to Charles Town, I wou'd advertise it in England, in all the Coffee houses and Publick places in every Trading city and Town, and in all the newspapers in Britain during many months ; likewise in the newspapers. Almanacks and Registers published 'n America. By this means it woul'd be found, that, every year after the first or second, there will be an amazing encrcase of the Revenue. After three or four years, the mode of paying deputys may be altered, if necefsary. Frequent application has been made to Mr Hooper for a weekly Post, between this place and Newbern ; he thinks that it wou'd defray its own expence. 21st. — At the office with Mr H(^oper; it appears that he has taken much pains to keep up the riding work, and to instruft other deputys. His books are in a form given him by the late Mr Delancey. I do not approve of it. They shou'd adopt the Northward form in evi , aiing, except in entering the letters in 4 columns, Sing: Doub; Tr: Pack't and i if* 72 Journal kei-t pennyweights, instead of which say so many It ters (reducing them all to singles) at so much "(J amounting to so many shillings Str. The Southern rider is irregular; his stage is too long; he shou'd arrive on Sunday evening and return towards Charles 'lown on Monday. Kvery thing is neat and in order with Mr. Hooper, who seems to be a (i-.-ntleman in every sense of the vord; he is a great acquisition to the office in this part of the world. The Northern rider is punrtual, but he will not take the oath nor will he give bond. The reason is obvious ho makes some- thing by way letters; no person can be fo.ind in this place or at Ncwbcrn except the present rider, for that reason 1 dare not p.efs him, else the rid- ing v\ork would stop, o.- we should be obligd to pay perhaps triple the sum to another; on his return from Newbern, I will do my endeavour to renew the contrad with him, and if p-jfsible, engage him to take the oath and give bond. It is exceeding difficult to find riders in North Carolina. Mr Ilooperdeliver'd to me a great parcel of I'ost-office accounts rendered by Mr Hewis D-puty at Fdenton, to be reeiify'd and settled by me, with him. Mr Hewis is a man of the best charadler, « Cu-ntleniun of merit (as is said) who has taken charge of the Pos' office solely to stTve the I'ublick ; as I an. informed the trouble at his office is great for all the letters for any office to the Southward of Virginia are sent to Suffolk, the last office in the Northern district, and from thence they are sent in one parcel unafsorted to Edenton, the most Northerly dffice in the Southern District, and Mr Hewis is obliged to sort them, and make them up in diffi;rent mails. By a very erroneous form which the former Secretary Mr John Stevens sent to all the Deputys as a rule to walk by, he has been led to charge commifsion on the amount of all letters pafsing through his hands as well BY Hugh Finlay. 73 those he forwai :1s to other offices, as those in his own delivery. I will shew him that this is uncustomary and was never charged; nor allow'd to any deputy. I am aware that he may pl'.-ad that he was diredled so to do, but as he is a gentlemen I hope to settle the matter easily. Mr Hooper pays th.- Northern rider, Henry Shepherd, £6^ Proc. "^ ann., equal to £56.11.] Str., the distance is gj miles, this he perform^ once in 14 days, from one place to the other and back again. On the 22d. — Took an account of the letters sent to Newbern and 10 George Town from this office, to enable me to ascertain Davis's and Dr. Tyghe's debts to the General Post-office. a,]d. — Sunday. 24th and 25th. — In company hear'd it regreted that there was no safety in sending any thing to the Northward, by Post, to the great inconveniency of the people in trade in those parts. Mr Hogg, one of the principal merchants in this place remitted the first and second of a set of bills of I'^xciiange by Post to Philadelphia; they never got to hand, a coaster carrieil the third bill safe. Many instances of the insecurity of the conveyance by Post have been given in my presence; all that I have been able to say in answer to these matters was, that I was coininifsioned to put the I't>sts on the best footing, that in my Survey I shou'd put every thing to right ; that I suspected some mismanugemenr a; the Jiinc.'ion of the Northern and Southern distrid, •vhi'.h I shoulM umliiubteillv recHfv. ^rr a^. 74 Joi'RNAI. KEPT 26th.— Learnt the story of the l)aci causeway leading to this place, and over which the Post pafses in danger of life two miles. ' Puhlick report is, that the (Governor and Province granted the ferry to Colonel William Dry for ever, on condition that he and his heirs should make and keep in good repair a high way thro' the Swampy Island Ivefore mentionM. The Colonel finds that he made a hard bargain, and he does not att,M„pr to mend the road ; he has l)een indiAed more than once, yet the road is still had. The King's attorney (his son in !.awl has not yet prosecuted, tho' the world calls tye, and every person pafsing and repafsing is in danger of breaking a leg or an arm, yet from year to year it is complaln'd of and vearly grows worse. I wrote to Colonel Dry on the strenuth of an introdu^^.,ry letter 1 had to the Colo., begging of him to recommend a careful person at Brunswick to take charge of a Post office there. I did intend to go down myself, but the effects of mv ride trom Charles Town, had render'd it painfid for me to si' or walk. :-th.-C-olo,,ei Dry very politely and ..bliginulv wrote that in case he cou'd rtnd nobody to take charge of the office he .vou'd take ere of it, un- til a proper person cou'd he found. Mr Hooper at my request wrote to Mr Lord the former Post Master in Brunswick, begging him to accept of a Commifsion. I- or a reason not als.gn'd (but be it what it wou'd it must have been a bad one. the Post was onluM not to pafs thro' Brunswick in Mr Delancev s time Mr L-,r,l has .u,swcrd that he is ready to aet, whenever he shall be properlv author- ised so to do, on condition that a small allowance he made to him for his attendance and for office rent. The letters sent from hi, office will be many, the Postage rcfei^ed by him a trifle. I shall reconunend i, ,o M,- BV Hur.H FiNLAV. 75 Roupell to comply with his request, as it will be of advantage to the Revenue, and will give satisfadion to the Trading body in this place. 28th, 29th, joth. At the Hermitage a few miles from Town where I ■net many of the merchants, and Gentlemen planters. The improvement of the Post was often talk'd of, my endeavour was on all occasions to a(- sure the Publick, that it was the command of His Majesty's Post Master (ieneral to put the American Posts on the best footing pofsible, and that for that end solely was I sent among them. 31st. — I matle a proposal to Mr Boyd, the printer, to carry his Papers by post I a C'rofs Creek, a place already mentioned, once a fortnight. The Newbern Post arriv'd regularly as he always does; the Charles Town Post not yet arriv'd tho' this is the day appointed, for that ridt.s arrival. trUining^ton. February the first. Mr Boyd, the printer, proposes to ride up to Cro I I; 86 Journal kept i Newbern, and there arrive on the evening of that day, and there he ex- changes mails, and returns to Bath on Sunday morning, where these letters !'«" until Thursday (losing 4 days) and thus the round is kept up. The Province pays the ferry men double fare for pafsing His Majestys Couriers ; by this means the Post is never detained at ferrys when there's a pofsibility of pafsing. list. — Crofs'd from Rath over Pamlicoe 5 miles, the ferry boats are not very good. I'rorn this river to Neuse ferry opposite to New Bern is jS miles good road, except j or 4 miles nearest Neuse ferry it is a heavy sand, the ferry is a mile over and the boat is very bad. From the 2;d April to the 6th May settled accounts with Mr Dowse, who resign'd his office. Mr Tomlinson succeeds hir.i as Deputy Post Master, I instruded him in his duty, gave him forms, &c., and I shew'd him how to make up the mails, and enter them in his books after which I left New Bern on the 17th in the intention to visit and examine the road from Halifax to Suffolk in Virginia. At Halifax I spoke with Mr William Martin (one recommended by th-; principal peojije in Town) about taking charge of an office in case one shou'd be established here; h- is willing to accept of a Commifsion. ifitS. — Crofs'd the Roanoke and rode 41 iles to Wynton a small Town on Chowan River, fifty miles from the mouth. 17th. — Crofs'd Chowan in a fine skow, the river may be 150 yds. wide herj. Road by Sommcrton a small vill.ige of no note to Suff"olk J4 miles : m «l Bv Hugh Finlay. gy The road is in general good ; in some places there's loose heavy sand. The present Route of the mails for the Southward beginning at Williams- burgh will measure thus, From Williamsburgh to Norfolk J4 miles N. B. This includes a ferry of 18 miles. From Norfolk to Suffolk 28 To Edenton ,, To Newhern including two ferrys, one of 5 and the other of 12 miles q, 230 The proposed Route to avoid the Ferrys will be From WiliiamsburfjT to Petersburg 75 miles Petersburg to Halifax jr Halifax to New Bern n? 265 Difference JS The difference between the f. u roads appears to be 35 miles in favor of the present route, but by t' .. snhcr way there's no tedious ferrys, there's 37 miles of water in the road the post now goes, three tedious difficult ferry's V( -y often impafsable. .88 Journal kept A riew of the progrefs of His Majestys mails from the time that the Post leaves Charles Town in South Carolina until his arrival at Suffolk in Virginia. The Post leave's Char- les Town of a Wed- nesday and arrives at George Town Brunswick Wilmington New Bern Bath Edenton Suffolk ij 60 Day ot" the arrival of the mails ai the JiC'"r- ent stages. t; 6 ? B i« ' n i« I- C rr, 4^ o 't- is H "C Friday 1 15 Sunday 15 Monday 9.J Thursday 4J Sunday S- ■ Friday 55 I Monday 27 fl • i 6 9\ 9, •91 4: 24! 3 1 27' E •• w i> Xi <- vc t: -C o 4.?.) 1^' ~! -a -c i. 0.0 ^ « >- c «-■ u •- '~ -^ :^ j: ll "^ t£ •- "S c * ^ O 3 > >. ;/; '^ 00 S" — • "J T3 ra c c c The Tardiness of ti>e pon discourages correspondence hv his Majestv's mails to and from the Southern distrirt. From what I have heard said in the Carolinas on the subject of the Posts, ,t IS my opinion that if there were a regular weekly postestablish'd from Town to Town in the Southern distrirt, correspondence wou'd en- crease much ; and to avoid delays, the .oute .hou'd he changed and the Mails forl'etershurgh, Flalitax, Tarho.ough, Newhern. Wilmington. Brunswick (u-,: I own and Charles Town, he sent the upper road, from New Castle or Williamsburg. BY Hugh Finlay. 89 NORTHERN DISTRICT. 17th MAY 1774. Suffolk is the most Southerly Town in the Northern Distridl ; the letters are deliv'd here in the store of the first merchant in the place, by T!.omas Bell one of the clerks; there is no office, but the letters are carefully lock'd up. Mr Bell has nocommifsion, he keeps his books neatly and in proper form; he has had charge of the office only four months. A Mr Stott had charge of it in this place formerly, at his death he owed the Post office i^jy.if.Sd. Virginia money which I received from Mr Bell; I enquir'd into the state of the accounts since Stotts death. I found that one Fleming had been appointed in May 1772, he left Suffolk in January 1773 and put the bookR and office Papers into the hands of Robert McMurdo, and he gave every thing up to Mr Bell excepting his account and papers from which an account cou'd be made out. As I had no account of the balances liue to the (Jencral Post office, I cou'd not ascertain the sums due by Fleming and McMurdo the first lives in Norfolk, the other in the West indies. Mr Bill observes that h^.- has a very great deal of trouble and no equiva- lent for the time and attention that he is obliged to give the Post office affairs. He says, that all letters from the Northward foi any place Southward of Suffolk arc sent to him, and he is obiig'd to make them into mails and 4 9° Journal kept forward them to their directions; now if the Post Masters to the North- ward were to make up their mails regularly, and send them properly, the officer at Suffolk could have no more trouble than any other officer has. To the Southward I have instrufted all Post Masters to make up mails for the different offices, and as I paCs along to the Northward I shall give the hke diredtions to the Post Masters, tho' in general thev are imiorant of the situations of places. For this reason, Let every Post Master return to the Survevor. the nan,es of all the places of note within his delivery, that they may he printed and left at each office as a diredory to the Post office. For instance Masnas and R,chn,on„ are places of trade where there's no office; a Post Master at Baltimore in Maryland or Quebec in Canada may not know to what place in Virginia to send letters direfted to these places, but lookmg into the book proposed to be printed he wou'd find under letter M MUners in In^^nna in the delivery of S.-fko, k The Post from the Northward arrives here every Tuesday afternoon. J-rom the Southward every other Tuesday. The Northward Post returns every Wednesday. The Southern post returns every other Weilnesday Letters for the Southward lie in this office S days, I mean such as arrive here on the week before the Southern Post comes in ''"''^-'-'ip^ at this office does not exceed €S 'f .p.arter consa,..entlv the I ost Masters Salary ,s but about €6 yearly. There's no rider paid a; this ortice. ' The rider between F.denton and Suffolk is paid by Mr Hewes. Necro nders are often employed, they can take no oath. ' BY Hugh Finlav. 9> 1 8th. — Proceed to Norfolk 28 miles in a fine road. It stands on Elizabeth now called Norfolk River a quarter or half a mile in breadth. Portsmouth IS on the opposite side from whence there's a good ferry. At Portsmouth a small Town there's a branch of the Suffolk office. 19th. — Saw Mr Parker under whose eye the office is kept by Alexander Diack his clerk, the letters here as at Suffolk are deliver'd in the Store or warehouse. Mr Diack keeps his books and accounts in a neat and regular manner. The receipt at this office is Cioo Str. yearly, ao "^ cent on that sum the Deputy's Salary amounts to .£20. The Northern Post arrives on Sunday at noon. He sets out for Suffolk Southward, on Tuesday. The mail returns towards Williamsburg Northw'd Thursday. The rider from Suf- folk is pundual, but the riders from the other hand are rather irregular, because that Hampton the office next to Norfolk thro' which all the northern letters come, is seperated from it by the junftion of James River and Klizabeth or Norfolk River i8 miles; there's no Post boat, and the mail is sent over from Hampton in the first pafsage boat offering, in charge of the Ncgroe ferry men; if no pafsengers offer from Hampton to Norfolk, the ferryman will not send a boat on purpose to carry the mail, nothwith- standing the art of tiie IX ofCJueen Anne, relative to ferrys; at this time it would be unadvisable to try an affair of this kind in any court in America; this ferfy as before observed is 1 8 miles over; there's one in Virginia of 60 over Chesapeak Bay when the art was made, it is likely that they did not advert to the hardship of a man's being obliged to carry a Post rider over such wide ferrys, for nothing. WouUl it not be equitable to pay for these l\ I !: 1 ' i ■ 9a Journal kept ferry's the same sum that is paid for conveying a mail the same distance by land? The rider between Norfolk and Suffolk is paid ,£25 Virg'a money p ann. This office accounts with Williamsburg. Hampton's the Port of entry for Norfolk, the masters of ships entering there, seldom deliver their letters at the Post office at this place- if any letters are brought up in the \-efsel they are thrown down on a Table in a Tavern or Coffee house, for every man to pick out his own. It is here said that the mails from d,c Northward are brought to them .n a round about tedious way, and the people complain of it as a grievance 1 hey say that by the way of the Eastern shore of Maryland, Philadelphia IS but 248 miles distant, and the present Post route is'+oo. It is agreed that the Bay of Chesapeak may be at times a great hindrance to the Post's speed th,s way, yet 'tis allow'd in general that the shortncfs of the route far outweighs that objection for the boats that plv acrofs the bay are very fine, and will never be stop'd thrice in a year by bad weather.' By this route they can have their advices 8 days sooner than by the present post road It is also said there are many counties, on the K,,stern shore, unaccomodated with Posts; Trading countys to encrease the revenue I he deputy show'd me letters that had been lying for sonietime in the o(hce, d.recled for the Colierto, and Comptroller of Accomack, hut he had no way ot forwarding them. I saw Mr Fleming, the former deputy of Suffi.lk, he says he put all these affairs into McMurdo's pofsetsion. and he is gone to t'he West Indies- so that this debt whatever it may be appears desperate, for Klen,i„« is'i poor man. '^ BY Hugh FiNLAy. 93 for Norfolk af,., ,1,. -o,,, „JZ I . 'f"^' '"" ""' '"' '''^'" to DC f„r.,rded ,>„„ Norfolk ,„ ,, '"""»"'" '" "-mptoi. too long n^erd,-, a,„l all To.,,, i„ ,1 „ " ""■"" '""• '''"' "« Suffolk i» go.u. f„, v„k „d w™:,!' ;t:: r:: r "'"?■■ ''- "■"" it he observed that rhl. I ' *'''' '°'^ °" "i'" "'^e; let .f .1. coiicat; of ,:; , dt im::, ■;; 'c°°' "° '""-"- ■«' ""■ There's „„ office ser apart here, hut things are kept in ,o„d order. h.s letters h re. those h,r the Xordnvard if it happens not on a I'ost d,v are sent by l-.xprefs to Williamsburtr. by that means thi« ffi ' ' than it receives. " *"' °^'' ^''>••'' """-"^ .:,. ^ i^ ■ ! ; '' i ■ J 1 I. I ;i } if 94 Journal kept bv Hugh Finlav. Proceeded 24 miles in a fine road to I'ork. Next day, the 24th, Saw the deputy Mr Allan Jones ; this is the Port of entry for Hanover, New Castle, and all parts of York river. This office accounts to Williamsburg. He has no place set apart for the delivery and receipt of letters. He receives about £14 yearly, but as at Hampton, it w'd increase if ship letters were deliver'd to him, at least the revenue wou'd encrease, by the inland post of such letters. I left several abstracts from the adt concern- ing ship letters, with him. The Post arrives here from the Northward on .Saturday. The Post from the Southward arrives on a Friday. Mr Jones informs me that he was induced to accept of the care of the office here, th.it he might be exempted from serving on Jurys or as a Militia man but he h.is found that the exemption sent him is no protcftion. The Militia court martials have fin'd him thrice; these fines he has paid rather than give up a claim founded on His Majestys Royal proclamation. He says that at this time there's an execution against him to levy fines for re- fusing twice to serve as a Juryman. He wrote to the Governor, The Earl of Dunmore in Dec'r last respedl- fully representing his case ; but he has had no Answer. Unless the Judges of the diffi;rent courts in America will pay regn:d to the Exemption in question no person will accept of a deputation from the Deputy Post-Masters General.